,transcriber's ,notes3 ,words in italics in the original are surrounded by underscores4 ,words in bold in the original are surrounded by plus signs4 ,a complete list of corrections as well as other notes follows the text4 ,,the ,,fundamental ,,doctrines ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,faith ,,the ,,fundamental ,,doctrines ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,faith ,,by ,r4 ,a4 ,,torrey ,author of ,how to ,bring ,men to ,christ1 ,what the ,bible ,teaches1 etc41 etc4 ,,new ,,york ,,george ,h4 ,,doran ,,company ,copyright1 #aiah1 ,by ,r4 ,a4 ,torrey ,printed in the ,united ,states of ,america ,,preface ,the author of these sermons has had a feeling for a long time that the great need in our churches in this day is systematic indoctrination4 ,he put his theory into practice last winter in his own church1 and these sermons are the result4 ,we were having a great many accessions to our church4 ,in the two years of the church's history we had had something like six hundred accessions to the church1 and every month considerable numbers of new members were being added4 ,while many of these came by letter from other churches1 many of them were new converts and had had practically no systematic instruction in the fundamental truths of the ,christian faith1 so we announced a series of sermons on ,the ,fundamental ,doctrines of the ,christian ,faith4 ,there was immediately a large increase in the attendance at the services where these addresses were given1 and this increase has kept up until on the last ,lord's ,day we had much the largest attendance we have ever had1 excepting on ,easter ,sunday4 ,many have testified to the blessing received from these sermons1 and there has been a great demand that the sermons be printed for general circulation4 ,this request has come from ministers of various denominations1 ,episcopalians1 ,presbyterians1 ,methodists1 ,baptists1 and others4 ,it is hoped that this volume will be useful to other pastors in suggesting lines of teaching in their regular pastoral work1 and also that it may be used widely by pastors and others for circulation among ,christians4 ,we live in a day in which many of our church members are all at sea as to what they believe on the fundamental doctrines of the ,christian faith4 ,these sermons have already helped many through their delivery4 ,it is hoped they will reach and help far more in the printed form4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,torrey4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i ,,inspiration1 ,,or ,,to ,,what ,,extent ,,is ,,the ,,bible ,,inspired ,,of ,,god8 #aa ,,ii ,,the ,,christian ,,conception ,,of ,,god1 ,,or ,,the ,,god ,,of ,,the ,,bible ,,as ,,distinguished ,,from ,,the ,,god ,,of ,,christian ,,science ,,and ,,the ,,god ,,of ,,modern ,,philosophy #ch ,,iii ,,the ,,christian ,,conception ,,of ,,god--,,the ,,infinite ,,perfection ,,and ,,unity ,,of ,,god #ef ,,iv ,,the ,,deity ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ #gc ,v ,,jesus ,,christ ,a ,,real ,,man #ic ,,vi ,,the ,,personality ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit #aab ,,vii ,,the ,,deity ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,and ,,the ,,distinction ,,between ,,the ,,father1 ,,son ,,and ,,holy ,,spirit #add ,,viii ,,the ,,atonement3 ,,god',s ,,doctrine ,,of ,,the ,,atonement ,,vs4 ,,unitarian ,,and ,,christian ,,science ,,doctrines ,,of ,,the ,,atonement #afb ,,ix ,,the ,,distinctive ,,doctrine ,,of ,,protestantism3 ,,justification ,,by ,,faith #ahf ,x ,,the ,,new ,,birth #bjf ,,xi ,,sanctification #bbe ,,xii ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,the ,,body ,,of ,,jesus ,,and ,,of ,,our ,,bodies #bde ,,xiii ,,the ,,devil #bfc ,,xiv ,,is ,,there ,a ,,literal ,,hell8 #bhd ,,xv ,,is ,,future ,,punishment ,,everlasting8 #cjc ,,the ,,fundamental ,,doctrines ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,faith ,,the ,,fundamental ,,doctrines ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,faith ,i ,,inspiration1 ,,or ,,to ,,what ,,extent ,,is ,,the ,,bible ,,inspired ,,of ,,god8 ,for no prophecy ever came by the will of man1 but men spake from ,god1 being moved by the ,holy ,spirit4--#b ,pet4 #a3ba4 ,all ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god1 and is profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness2 that the man of ,god may be perfect1 thoroughly furnished unto all good works4--#b ,tim4 #c3af1 #ag4 ,our subject this morning is ,the ,inspiration of the ,bible1 or to ,what ,extent ,is the ,bible ,inspired of ,god8 ,the subject is of vital and fundamental importance4 ,if we can make it clear that the writers of the various books of the ,bible were inspired of ,god in a sense that no other men were ever inspired of ,god1 that they were so gifted and taught and led and governed by the ,holy ,spirit in their utterances as recorded in the ,bible1 that they taught the truth and nothing but the truth1 that their teachings were absolutely without error1--then we have in the ,bible a court of final appeal and of infallible wisdom to which we can go to settle every question of doctrine or duty4 ,but if the writers of the ,bible were inspired only in the vague and uncertain sense that ,shakespeare1 ,browning and many other men of genius were inspired1 only inspired to the extent that their minds were made more keen to see the truth than ordinary men1 but still only in such a way that they made mistakes1 or chose the wrong word to express their thought1 so that we must recast their thought by discovering1 if we may1 what the inspired thought back of the uninspired words was1 then we are all at sea1 in hopeless confusion1 so that each generation must settle for itself what the ,holy ,spirit meant to say through the blundering reporters2 and it is absolutely certain that no generation can determine with anything approximating accuracy what the ,spirit meant1 and so no generation can arrive at the truth1 but simply promulgate blunders for the next and wiser generation to correct1 to be corrected in turn by the next generation that follows it4 ,thank ,god that this latter subtle but popular doctrine can be proven to be utterly untrue6 ,there is great need of crystal clear teaching on this subject1 because our colleges and seminaries and pulpits and ,sunday schools and religious papers are full of teaching that is vague1 inaccurate1 misleading1 un-,scriptural1 and oftentimes grossly false4 ,there are many in these days who say ,i believe that the ,bible is inspired when by inspired they do not mean at all what you understand or what the mighty men of faith in the past meant by inspired4 ,they often say that they believe the ,bible is the ,word of ,god1 when at the same time they believe it is full of errors4 ,now the ,bible is as clear as crystal in its teachings and claims regarding itself1 and either those claims are true1 or else the ,bible is the biggest fraud in all the literature of the human race4 ,the position held by so many to-day1 that the ,bible is a good book1 perhaps the best book in the world1 but at the same time it is full of errors that must be corrected by the higher wisdom of our day1 is utterly illogical and absolutely ridiculous4 ,if the ,bible is not what it claims to be1 it is a fraud--an outrageous fraud4 ,what does the ,bible teach and claim concerning itself8 ,what does it teach and claim regarding the fact and extent of its own inspiration8 ,i4 ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,in ,,apostles ,,and ,,prophets ,,different ,,in ,,character ,,from ,,his ,,work ,,in ,,all ,,other ,,persons ,the first thing that the ,bible teaches on this point and claims for itself is1 that the work of the ,holy ,spirit in apostles and prophets1 in the various human authors of the different books of the ,bible1 differs from ,his work in other men1 even in other believers in ,christ4 ,it teaches that the ,holy ,spirit imparts to apostles and prophets an especial gift for an especial purpose4 ,we find this clearly taught in #a ,cor4 #ab3d1 #h-aa1 #bh1 #bi1 where we read1 ,now there are diversities of gifts1 but the same ,spirit4 4 4 4 7#h7 for to one is given through the ,spirit the word of wisdom2 and to another the word of knowledge1 according to the same ,spirit2 7#i7 to another faith1 in the same ,spirit2 and to another gifts of healing1 in the same ,spirit2 7#aj7 and to another workings of miracles 7powers72 and to another prophecy2 and to another discerning of spirits2 to another divers kinds of tongues1 and to another the interpretation of tongues2 7#aa7 but all these worketh the one and the same ,spirit1 dividing to each one severally even as ,he will4 4 4 4 7#bh7 ,and ,god hath set some in the church1 first apostles1 secondly prophets1 thirdly teachers1 then miracles1 then gifts of healings1 helps1 governments1 divers kinds of tongues4 7#bi7 ,are all apostles8 are all prophets8 are all teachers8 are all workers of miracles8 ,this chapter is the fullest and clearest chapter in the ,bible on the subject of the various gifts of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it is the classical chapter on the whole subject1 and the teaching of these verses is as plain as language can make it1 and it states in terms1 the meaning of which is unmistakable1 that the gift bestowed on apostles and prophets differed in kind from the gifts bestowed on other believers1 even though those believers were filled with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,not only did the work of the ,holy ,spirit in the apostles and prophets differ from ,his work in men of genius1 but even from ,his work in other believers4 ,these verses make it as plain as day that the doctrine which has become so common and so popular in our day1 that the work of the ,holy ,spirit in preachers and teachers and in ordinary believers1 illuminating them and guiding them into the truth and into the understanding of the ,word of ,god1 is the same in kind and differs only in degree from the work of the ,holy ,spirit in ,apostles and ,prophets is thoroughly unscriptural and untrue4 ,this doctrine overlooks what is here so clearly stated and so carefully elucidated1 that while there is the same ,spirit there are diversities of gifts diversities of ministrations1 diversities of workings 7#a ,cor4 #ab3djf ,r4 ,v47 and that not all are ,prophets or ,apostles4 7#a ,cor4 #ab3bi47 ,those who desire to minimise the difference between the work of the ,holy ,spirit in ,apostles and ,prophets1 and ,his work in other men1 often refer to the fact that the ,bible itself says that ,bezaleel1 the architect of the tabernacle1 was to be filled with the ,spirit of ,god1 in wisdom1 and in understanding1 and in knowledge1 and in all manner of workmanship1 to devise the work of the tabernacle 7,ex4 #ca3a-aa71 as a proof that the inspiration of the ,prophet does not differ in kind from the inspiration of the artist or the architect4 ,this argument at first glance seems plausible1 but when we bear in mind the facts about the tabernacle1 especially the fact that the tabernacle was to be built after the pattern shown to ,moses in the mount 7,ex4 #be3h1 #i1 #dj7 and that therefore it was itself a revelation from ,god1 a prophecy1 a setting forth of the truth of ,god1 the argument loses all its force4 ,the tabernacle was the ,word of ,god done into wood1 gold1 silver1 brass1 cloth1 skin1 etc41 just as truly the ,word of ,god and the revealing of ,god's truth as if the truth were printed on a page4 ,so1 of course1 ,bezaleel needed to be inspired1 he was a prophet1 a prophet who uttered his prophecies in the details of the tabernacle4 ,there is much reasoning about inspiration to-day that appear at first sight very learned1 but that will not bear much scrutiny or candid comparison with the teachings of the ,word of ,god4 ,there is nothing in the ,bible more inspired than the tabernacle1 and if the destructive critics would study the tabernacle more carefully and thoroughly they would be led to give up their ingenious but untenable theories1 not only about the construction of the tabernacle1 but about many other things as well4 ,i have never heard or known of a single destructive critic who had ever given a thorough study to the real meaning of the tabernacle in all its parts1 or who had any considerable understanding of the types of ,scripture4 ,i have challenged the critics in the ,university centres of ,england1 ,ireland and ,scotland to name one single destructive critic who had ever made any thorough study of the types1 and no one has ever attempted to even suggest one4 ,,ii4 ,,truth ,,hidden ,,from ,,men ,,for ,,ages1 ,,and ,,which ,,they ,,had ,,not ,,discovered ,,and ,,could ,,not ,,discover1 ,,by ,,the ,,unaided ,,processes ,,of ,,human ,,reasoning1 ,,has ,,been ,,revealed ,,to ,,apostles ,,and ,,prophets ,,in ,,the ,,spirit ,the second thing taught in the ,bible regarding the inspiration of the ,apostles and ,prophets1 the inspiration of the various authors of the books of the ,bible1 is that truth hidden from men for ages1 and which they had not discovered1 and could not discover1 by the unaided processes of human reasoning1 even human reasoning at its very best and highest1 has been revealed to ,apostles and ,prophets in the ,holy ,spirit4 ,we find this very clearly taught in ,eph4 #c3b-e3 ,if so be that ye have heard of the dispensation of that grace of ,god which was given me to you-ward2 7#c7 how that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery1 as ,i wrote before in few words1 7#d7 whereby when ye read1 ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of ,christ2 7#e7 which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men1 as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the ,spirit4 ,the meaning of these words is unmistakable4 ,paul here declares in words the meaning of which is perfectly plain1 that ,god in the ,spirit had revealed unto ,his holy apostles and prophets the mystery of ,christ which in former generations had not been made known unto the sons of men1 which they had not discovered and could not discover except by revelation from ,god2 ,paul and the other apostles and prophets knew it by direct revelation from ,god himself through the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the teaching is inescapable that the ,bible contains truth that men never had discovered and never could have discovered if left to themselves1 but truth which the ,father in great grace has revealed to ,his children through ,his servants the prophets and apostles4 ,we see in this the folly1 a folly so common in our day1 of seeking to test the statements of ,scripture by the conclusions of human reasoning1 or by the intuitions of the ,christian consciousness4 ,the revelation of ,god transcends human reasoning1 and therefore human reasoning cannot be its test4 ,furthermore1 a consciousness that is truly and fully ,christian is the product of the study and absorption of ,bible truth4 ,it is not the test of the truth of the ,bible1--it is the product of meditation on the ,bible4 ,if our consciousness differs from the statements of the ,bible1 it is not as yet a fully ,christian consciousness1 and the thing for us to do is not to try to pull ,god's revelation down to the level of our consciousness but to tone our consciousness up to the level of ,god's ,word4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,revelation ,,made ,,to ,,the ,,prophets ,,by ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,was ,,independent ,,of ,,their ,,own ,,thinking ,the third thing that the ,bible makes perfectly clear as to the inspiration of the ,prophets and ,apostles is1 that the revelation made by ,god through ,his ,holy ,spirit to the ,prophets was independent of the ,prophets' own thinking1 that it was made to them by the ,spirit of ,christ which was in them1 and that they themselves oftentimes did not thoroughly understand the full meaning of what the ,spirit was saying through them1 and that what they said was a subject of diligent search and inquiry to their own mind as to its meaning4 ,this comes out very plainly in #a ,pet4 #a3aj-ab1 ,concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently1 who prophesied of the grace that should come to you2 searching what time1 or what manner of time the ,spirit of ,christ which was in them did point unto1 when it testified beforehand the sufferings of ,christ and the glories that should follow them4 ,unto whom it was revealed1 that not unto themselves1 but unto you1 did they minister these things which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the ,gospel unto you by the ,holy ,spirit sent forth from ,heaven2 which things angels desire to look into4 ,here again the meaning is as clear as day and inescapable4 ,we are told that the prophets had a revelation made to them by the ,holy ,spirit1 the meaning of which they did not thoroughly comprehend1 and that they themselves sought and searched diligently as to the meaning of this revelation which was made to them and which they recorded4 ,the ,spirit1 through them testified beforehand the sufferings of ,christ 7e4g4 in ,isa4 #ec3c1 ,ps4 #bb7 and the glories that should follow them4 ,they recorded what the ,spirit testified1 but what it meant they did not thoroughly understand4 ,it was not merely that their minds were made keen to see things which they would not otherwise see1 and which they therefore more or less accurately recorded4 ,no1 there was a very definite revelation1 arising not from their own minds at all1 but from the ,spirit of ,god ,who made the revelation to them and this they recorded1 but it was not of themselves to that extent that they themselves wondered as to what its meaning might be4 ,what they recorded was not at all their own thought1 it was the thought of the ,holy ,spirit who spoke through them4 ,how utterly different this conception is from that which is so persistently taught in many of our colleges and theological seminaries and pulpits1--how utterly different it is from the conception that was taught a week ago to-day in one of the pulpits of our own city4 ,,iv4 ,,no ,,prophetic ,,utterance ,,was ,,of ,,the ,,prophet',s ,,own ,,will1 ,,but ,,the ,,prophet ,,spoke ,,from ,,god ,,and ,,the ,,prophet ,,was ,,carried ,,along ,,by ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,and ,,not ,,by ,,his ,,own ,,impulse ,,or ,,reasoning ,,in ,,what ,,he ,,said ,the fourth thing that the ,bible makes perfectly clear is1 that not one single prophetic utterance was of the prophet's own will 7i4e41 it was not in any sense merely what he wished to say71 but in every instance the ,prophet spoke from ,god1 and the ,prophet was carried along in the prophetic utterance by the ,holy ,spirit1 regardless of his own will or thought4 ,we find this stated practically in so many words in #b ,pet4 #a3ba where we read3 ,for no prophecy 7literally1 not a prophecy7 ever came 7literally1 was brought7 by the will of man2 but men spake from ,god being moved 7literally1 carried along1 or borne7 by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,there can be no honest mistaking of the meaning of this language4 ,the ,prophet never thought that there was something that needed to be said and therefore said it1 but ,god took possession of the prophet1 carried him along in his utterance1 by the power of the ,holy ,spirit1 and he spake1 not from his own consciousness1 and not from his own reasoning1 nor from his own intuition1 but from ,god4 ,as ,god's messenger he spoke what ,god told him to say4 ,v4 ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,was ,,the ,,real ,,speaker ,,who ,,spoke ,,in ,,the ,,prophetic ,,utterances ,the fifth thing that the ,bible teaches regarding the ,inspiration of the ,prophets and the ,apostles and their utterances1 is that the ,holy ,spirit was the real speaker in the prophetic utterances1 that what was said or written was the ,holy ,spirit's ,word that was upon the ,apostle's tongue1 and not the word of the ,prophet or ,apostle4 ,this is said in the ,bible in so many words1 over and over again4 ,for example1 in ,heb4 #c3g we read3 ,wherefore1 even as the ,holy ,spirit saith1 ,to-day if ye shall hear ,his voice1 harden not your hearts1 etc4 ,the author of the epistle to the ,hebrews is quoting ,ps4 #ie3g1 #h and says that what the ,psalmist is recorded as saying the ,holy ,spirit saith4 ,again in ,heb4 #aj3ae1 #af1 we read3 ,and the ,holy ,spirit also beareth witness to us2 for after ,he had said1 ,this is the covenant that ,i will make with them after those days1 saith the ,lord3 ,i will put my laws on their heart1 and upon their mind also will ,i write them4 ,now the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews is quoting ,jer4 #ca3cc1 and he does not hesitate to say that the testimony that ,jeremiah there bore is the testimony of the ,holy ,ghost1 that the ,holy ,ghost was the real speaker4 ,again we read in ,acts #bh3be1 #bf that ,paul said1 ,well spake the ,holy ,spirit through ,isaiah the prophet1 unto your fathers1 7#bf7 saying1 ,go thou unto this people and say1 ,by hearing ye shall hear and shall in no wise understand2 and seeing ye shall see1 and shall in no wise perceive1 etc4 ,here ,paul is quoting ,isaiah's words as recorded in the #fth chapter of ,isaiah1 the #ith and #ajth verses1 and he distinctly says that the real speaker was not ,isaiah1 but the ,holy ,spirit who spoke through ,isaiah the prophet4 ,turning now to the old ,testament we read in #b ,sam4 #bc3b this assertion by ,david regarding the things that he said and wrote3 ,the ,spirit of ,jehovah spake by me1 and his word was upon my tongue4 ,there can be no mistaking the meaning of these words on the part of any one who goes to the ,bible to find out what it really claims and teaches4 ,the ,holy ,spirit was the real speaker in the prophetic utterance4 ,it was the ,holy ,spirit's utterance that was upon the prophet's tongue4 ,the prophet was simply the mouth by which the ,holy ,spirit spoke4 ,merely as a man1 except as the ,holy ,spirit taught him and used him1 the prophet was fallible as other men are fallible1 but when the ,spirit was upon him1 when he was taken up and borne along by the ,holy ,spirit1 then he became infallible in his teachings2 for his teachings were not his1 but the teachings of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it was ,god who was then speaking1 not the ,prophet4 ,for example1 ,paul merely as a man1 even as a ,christian man1 doubtless had many mistaken notions on many things1 and was more or less subject to the ideas and opinions of his time1 but when he taught as an ,apostle1 under the power of the ,holy ,spirit he was infallible1 or rather the ,spirit who taught through him was infallible1 and the teachings that resulted from the ,spirit's teaching through him1 were infallible1 as infallible as ,god4 ,common sense demands of us that we carefully distinguish between what ,paul may have thought as a man1 and what he actually taught as an apostle4 ,in the ,bible we have the record of what he taught as an ,apostle4 ,some one may cite as a possible exception to this statement #a ,cor4 #g3f1 #be1 where he says3 ,but this ,i say by way of concession1 not of commandment4 4 4 4 ,now concerning virgins1 ,i have no commandment of the ,lord1 but ,i give my judgment1 as one that hath obtained mercy of the ,lord to be trustworthy4 ,there are those who think that ,paul does not seem to have been sure here that he had the word of the ,lord in this particular matter1 but that is not the meaning of the passage4 ,the meaning of v4 #f is that his teaching which he had just given was by way of concession to their weakness1 and not a commandment as to what they must do4 ,and the teaching of v4 #be is that the ,lord1 during ,his earthly life1 had given no commandment on this subject1 but that ,paul was giving his judgment2 but he says distinctly that he was giving it as one who had obtained mercy of the ,lord to be trustworthy and furthermore1 in the #djth verse of the chapter he distinctly says that in his judgment he had the ,spirit of ,god4 ,but even allowing that the other interpretation of this passage is the correct one1 and that ,paul was not absolutely sure in this case that he had the ,word of the ,lord and the mind of the ,lord1 that would only show that where ,paul was not absolutely sure that he was teaching in the ,holy ,ghost he was careful to note the fact1 and this would only give additional certainty to all other passages that he wrote4 ,it is sometimes said that ,paul taught in his earlier epistles that the ,lord would return during his lifetime1 and that in this matter he certainly was mistaken4 ,but ,paul never taught in his earlier epistles1 or any other epistles1 he never taught anywhere1 that the ,lord would return during his lifetime4 ,this assertion is contrary to fact4 ,he does say in #a ,thess4 which was his first epistle1 the #dth chapter and #agth verse3 ,then we that are alive1 that are left1 shall together with them 7i4e41 the believers who had already fallen asleep7 be caught up in the clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the air2 and so shall we ever be with the ,lord4 ,he does here put himself in the same class with those who were still alive when he wrote the words4 ,he naturally and necessarily did not include himself with those who had already fallen asleep4 ,in speaking of the ,lord's return he does not say nor hint that he will be still alive when the ,lord returns4 ,it is quite probable that ,paul did believe at this time that he might be alive when the ,lord returned but he never taught that he would be alive4 ,the attitude of expectancy is the true attitude in all ages for every believer4 ,this was the attitude that ,paul took until it was distinctly revealed to him that he would depart before the ,lord came4 ,i think it very probable that ,paul in the earlier part of his ministry was inclined to believe that he would live until the coming of the ,lord1 but the ,holy ,ghost kept him from so teaching1 and also kept him from all other errors in his teachings4 ,,vi4 ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,in ,,the ,,apostles ,,gave ,,not ,,only ,,the ,,thought1 ,,but ,,the ,,words ,,in ,,which ,,the ,,thought ,,was ,,to ,,be ,,expressed ,the #fth thing that the ,bible makes clear as to the inspiration of the apostle and prophets is that1 the ,holy ,spirit in the ,prophets and ,apostles gave not only the thought but also gave the words in which the thought was to be expressed4 ,we find this very clearly stated in #a ,cor4 #b3ac3 ,which things also we speak1 not in words which man's wisdom teacheth1 but which the ,holy ,spirit teacheth2 combining spiritual things with spiritual words4 ,one of the most popular of the false theories of ,inspiration in our day is that the ,holy ,spirit was the author of the thought1 but that the ,apostles were left to their own choice of words in the expression of the thought1 and that therefore in studying the ,bible we cannot emphasise the exact meaning of the words1 but must try to find the thought of ,god that was back of the words1 and which the writer has more or less inaccurately expressed4 ,there are many teachers in our theological seminaries to-day1 and in our pulpits1 who speak very sneeringly and superciliously of those who believe in ,verbal ,inspiration1--i4e41 those who believe that the ,holy ,spirit chose the very words in which the thought he was teaching was to be expressed1 but however sneeringly they may speak of those who believe in ,verbal ,inspiration1 certainly the ,bible claims that it was verbally inspired4 ,the passage which ,i have just read makes it as plain as language can possibly make it that the words in which the ,apostle spoke were not words which man's wisdom teacheth1 but which the ,spirit teacheth4 ,now if this is not the fact1 if only the thought that was given to ,paul was the thought of ,god1 and he clothed the thought in his own words1 then ,paul was a thoroughly deceived man on a fundamental point1 in which case no dependence at all can be placed in his teachings on any point1 or else he was a deliberate fraud1 in which case the quicker we burn up his books the better for us and all concerned4 ,there is no possibility of finding any middle ground1 and the attempts to find a middle ground have landed those who have tried it in all kinds of absurdities4 ,if you have an exact and logical mind1 you must take your choice between ,verbal ,inspiration and bald infidelity4 ,paul distinctly states that the words in which he conveyed to others the truth that was revealed to him were the words which the ,holy ,spirit taught him4 ,the ,holy ,spirit himself has anticipated all these modern ingenious1 but wholly unbiblical and utterly illogical and entirely false theories regarding his own work in the ,apostles4 ,the theory that the concept was inspired but the words in which the concept was expressed were not1 was anticipated by the ,holy ,spirit ,himself and exploded #ahjj years before our supposedly wise #aith century theological teachers conceived it1 and attempted to foist it upon an unsuspecting public4 ,it was exploded eighteen centuries before it was exploited4 ,furthermore1 the theory is absurd in itself4 ,as the only way in which thought can be conveyed from one mind to another1 from one man's mind to another man's mind1 or from the mind of ,god to the mind of man is by words1 therefore if the words are imperfect the thought expressed in those words is necessarily imperfect4 ,the theory is an absurdity on its very face1 and it is difficult to see how intelligent men could have ever deceived themselves into believing such a thoroughly illogical theory4 ,if the words are not inspired the ,bible is not inspired4 ,let us not deceive ourselves2 let us face facts4 ,furthermore1 the more carefully and minutely one studies the wording of the statements of this wonderful book--the ,bible--the more he will become convinced of the marvellous accuracy of the very words used to express the thought4 ,to a superficial thinker the doctrine of ,verbal ,inspiration may appear questionable or even absurd1 but any regenerate and ,spirit-taught man who ponders the words of the ,scripture day by day1 and year after year1 will become thoroughly and immovably convinced that the wisdom of ,god is in the very words used as well as in the thought which is expressed in the words4 ,it is a significant and deeply impressive fact that our difficulties with the ,bible rapidly disappear as we note the precise language used4 ,the changing of a word or letter1 or of a tense1 case or number1 would oftentimes land us in contradiction or untruth1 but taking the words exactly as written1 difficulties disappear and truth shines forth4 ,countless times people have come to me with apparent difficulties and supposed contradictions in the ,bible and asked a solution1 and ,i have pointed them to the exact words used and the solution was found in taking the words exactly as written4 ,it was because they changed in a slight degree the very words that ,god spoke that a difficulty had seemed to arise4 ,the ,divine origin of nature shines forth more and more clearly the more closely we examine it under the microscope4 ,as by the use of a powerful microscope we see the perfection of form and the adaptation of means to end in the minutest particles of matter1 we are overwhelmingly convinced that ,god1 a ,god of infinite wisdom and power1 a wisdom extending down to the minutest parts of matter1 is the author of the material universe3 so likewise the divine origin of the ,bible shines forth more and more clearly under the microscope4 ,the more minutely we study the ,bible the more we note the perfection with which the turn of a word reveals the absolute thought of ,god4 ,an important question1 and a question that has puzzled many writers at this point1 is3 ,if the ,holy ,spirit is the author of the very words of ,scripture how do we account for the variations in style and diction8 ,how is it1 for example1 that ,paul always used ,pauline language1 and ,john used ,johannean language1 and ,peter used language that was characteristic of himself8 ,the answer to this question is very simple and is two-fold3 ,first1 even though we could not account at all for this fact1 it would have little weight against the explicit statement of ,god's ,word with any one who is humble enough and wise enough to recognise that there are a great many things which he cannot account for at all which could be easily accounted for if he knew a little more4 ,it is only the man who has such amazing and stupendous conceit that he thinks he knows as much as ,god1 in other words1 that he is infinite in wisdom1 who will give up an explicit statement of ,god's ,word simply because he sees a difficulty in the way of the acceptance of that statement1 which he in his limited knowledge cannot solve4 ,but there is a second answer1 and an all-sufficient one1 and that is this3 these variations in style and diction are easily accounted for4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is infinitely wise4 ,he ,himself is the ,creator of ,man1 and of man's power of speech1 and therefore he is quite wise enough and has quite enough facility in the use of language in revealing truth to and through any individual to use words1 phrases and forms of expression that are in that person's ordinary vocabulary and forms of thought1 and ,he is also quite wise enough to make use of that person's peculiar individuality in revealing the truth through him4 ,it is one of the marks of the ,divine wisdom of this book that the same ,divine truth is expressed with absolute accuracy in such widely variant forms of expression4 ,,vii4 ,,all ,,scripture ,,is ,,inspired ,,of ,,god ,the seventh thing that the ,bible makes plain regarding the work of the ,holy ,spirit in the various writers of ,scripture1 is that all ,scripture1 that is everything contained in all the books of the ,old and ,new ,testament1 is inspired of ,god4 ,we are distinctly taught this in #b ,tim4 #c3af1 #ag4 ,here we read1 ,all ,scripture 7more exactly1 every ,scripture7 is given by inspiration of ,god 7more literally1 ,god-breathed71 and is profitable for doctrine1 7or teaching71 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness 7rather1 instruction which is in righteousness71 that the man of ,god may be perfect 7rather1 complete7 thoroughly furnished 7better1 furnished completely7 unto all good works 7rather1 every good work74 ,an attempt has been made to obscure the full force of these words by a revised translation given in both the ,english ,revision and ,american ,standard ,version4 ,in this revised translation1 the words are rendered as follows3 ,every ,scripture inspired of ,god is also profitable for teaching1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction which is in righteousness2 that the man of ,god may be complete1 furnished completely unto every good work4 ,there is absolutely no warrant in the ,greek text for changing ,every ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god and is profitable for doctrine1 etc41 into ,every ,scripture inspired of ,god is also profitable for teaching1 etc4 ,every is in the ,greek4 ,there is no is in the ,greek4 ,it must be supplied1 as is often the case in translating from ,greek into ,english4 ,is must be supplied somewhere1 either before given by inspiration 7or ,god-breathed71 or else supplied after it1 in the latter case necessitating the change of and into also 7a change which is possible1 but very uncommon72 and there is not a single instance in the ,new ,testament outside of this in which two adjectives coupled by the simplest copulative and 7kai7 are ripped apart and the is placed between them and an and changed into also4 ,the other construction1 that of the ,authorised ,version1 is not at all uncommon4 ,the translation of the ,revisers does violence to all customary usage of the ,greek language4 ,but we do not need to dwell upon that1 for1 even accepting the changes given in the ,revision1 the thought is not essentially changed2 for if ,paul had said what the revisers make him say that ,every ,scripture inspired of ,god is also profitable for teaching1 etc41 there can be no question but by every scripture inspired of ,god he referred to every ,scripture contained in the ,old ,testament4 ,here1 then1 taking whichever translation you will1 we have the plain teaching that every ,scripture of the ,old ,testament is ,god-breathed or inspired of ,god4 ,certainly if we can believe this about the ,old ,testament there is no difficulty in believing it about the ,new1 and there can be no question that ,paul claimed for his own teaching an equal authority with the ,o4 ,t4 teaching4 ,this we shall see clearly under the next head4 ,and not only did ,paul so claim1 but the ,apostle ,peter also classes the teaching of ,paul with the ,o4 ,t4 teaching as being ,scripture4 ,peter says in #b ,pet4 #c3ae1 #af1 ,even as our beloved brother ,paul also1 according to the wisdom given unto him1 wrote unto you2 7#af7 as also in all his epistles1 speaking in them of these things1 wherein are some things hard to be understood1 which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest1 as they do also the other ,scriptures1 unto their own destruction4 ,here ,peter clearly speaks of ,paul's epistles as being ,scripture4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,bible ,,is ,,the ,,word ,,of ,,god ,the eighth thing that the ,bible teaches concerning the extent of the inspiration of its writings is that because of this inspiration of ,prophets and ,apostles1 the writers of the ,bible1 the whole ,bible as originally given becomes the absolutely inerrant ,word of ,god4 ,in the ,o4 ,t4 ,david says of his own writings1 in #b ,sam4 #bc3b1 a passage already referred to1 ,the ,spirit of ,jehovah spake by me1 and ,his ,word was upon my tongue4 ,in ,mark #g3ac ,our ,lord ,jesus ,himself calls the law of ,moses the ,word of ,god4 ,he says making void the ,word of ,god by your tradition1 which ye have delivered4 ,in the verses immediately preceding1 ,he has been drawing a contrast between the teachings of the ,mosaic law 7not merely the teachings of the ,ten ,commandments1 but other parts of the ,mosaic law as well7 and the traditions of the ,scribes and ,pharisees1 and has shown how the traditions of the ,scribes and ,pharisees flatly contradicted the requirements of the law as given through ,moses1 and in summing up the matter he says in the verse just quoted1 that the ,scribes and ,pharisees made void the ,word of ,god by their traditions1 thus calling the law of ,moses the ,word of ,god4 ,when ,i was in ,england a high dignitary and scholar in the ,church of ,england in a private correspondence tried to call me down by saying that the ,bible nowhere claimed to be the ,word of ,god1 but ,i replied to him by showing him that not only did the ,bible claim it1 but that the ,lord ,jesus ,himself said in so many words that the law given through ,moses was the ,word of ,god4 ,in #a ,thess4 #b3ac the ,apostle ,paul claims that his own epistles and teachings are the ,word of ,god4 ,he says3 ,and for this cause we also thank ,god without ceasing1 that when ye received from us the word of the message1 even the word of ,god1 ye accepted it not as the word of men1 but as it is in truth1 the word of ,god1 which also worketh in you that believe4 ,here the ,apostle ,paul claims for his own teaching in the most absolute way that the message that he gave was the ,word of ,god4 ,when we read the words that ,jeremiah wrote and ,isaiah wrote and ,paul wrote and ,john wrote and ,james wrote and ,jude wrote and the other ,bible writers wrote1 we are reading what ,god says4 ,we are not listening to the voice of man1 but we are listening to the voice of ,god4 ,the ,word of ,god which we have in the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 as originally given1 is absolutely inerrant down to the smallest word and smallest letter or part of a letter4 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,himself says of the ,pentateuch in ,matt4 #e3ah3 ,for verily ,i say unto you1 till heaven and earth pass away1 one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law till all things be accomplished4 ,now a jot is the ,hebrew character yodh1 the smallest character in the ,hebrew alphabet1 less than half the size of any other letter in the ,hebrew alphabet1 and a tittle is a part of a letter1 the little horn put on some of the ,hebrew consonants1 less than the cross we put on a t1 and here our ,lord says that the law given through ,moses was absolutely inerrant1 down to its smallest letter or part of a letter4 ,that certainly is verbal inspiration with a vengeance4 ,again he said1 as recorded in ,john #aj3ce1 after having quoted from the #hbnd ,psalm and the #fth verse1 as conclusive proof of a point1 ,the ,scripture ,,cannot ,,be ,,broken1 thus asserting the absolute irrefragability or inerrancy and finality of the ,scriptures4 ,if the ,scriptures as originally given were not the inerrant ,word of ,god1 then not only is the ,bible a fraud1 but ,jesus ,christ ,himself was utterly misled and is therefore utterly unreliable as a teacher4 ,i have said that the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments as originally given were absolutely inerrant1 and the question of course arises to what extent is the ,authorized ,version1 or the ,revised ,version1 the inerrant ,word of ,god4 ,the answer is simple2 they are the inerrant ,word of ,god just to that extent that they are an accurate rendering of the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments as originally given1 and to all practical intents and purposes they are a thoroughly accurate rendering of the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testaments as originally given4 ,there are1 it is true1 many variations in the many manuscripts we possess1 thousands of variations1 but by a careful study of these very variations1 we are able to find with marvellous accuracy what the original manuscripts said4 ,a very large share of the variations are of no value whatever1 as it is evident from a comparison of different manuscripts that they are mistakes of a transcriber4 ,many other variations simply concern the order of the words used1 and in translating into ,english1 in which the order of words is often different from what it is in the ,greek1 the variation is not translatable4 ,many other variations are of small ,greek particles1 many of which are not translatable into ,english any way4 ,when all the variations of any significance have been reduced to the minimum to which it is possible to reduce them by a careful study of manuscripts1 there is not one single variation left that affects any doctrine held by the evangelical churches1 and the ,scriptures as we have them to-day translated into our ,english language1 either in the ,a4 ,v4 or ,r4 ,v41 are to all practical intents and purposes the inerrant ,word of ,god4 ,,ii ,,the ,,christian ,,conception ,,of ,,god1 ,,or ,,the ,,god ,,of ,,the ,,bible ,,as ,,distinguished ,,from ,,the ,,god ,,of ,,christian ,,science ,,and ,,the ,,god ,,of ,,modern ,,philosophy ,god is ,spirit4--,john #d3bd4 ,god is ,light4--#a ,john #a3e4 ,god is ,love4--#a ,john #d3h1 #af4 ,our subject this morning is ,the ,christian ,conception of ,god1 or ,the ,god of the ,bible as ,distinguished from the ,god of ,christian ,science and the ,god of ,modern ,philosophy4 ,i have three texts3 ,john #d3bd3 ,god is ,spirit4 #a ,john #a3e3 ,god is ,light4 #a ,john #d3h1 #af3 ,god is ,love4 ,these three texts give three of the most remarkable statements that were ever uttered and set before us in the clearest possible way the ,christian conception of ,god as distinguished from every other conception of ,god4 ,the ,christian ,scientists constantly quote one of our texts3 ,god is ,love4 ,in fact they quote it more than almost any other passage in the ,bible1 but they do not mean at all by ,god is ,love what #a ,john #d3h or #a ,john #d3af evidently mean when taken in their connection4 ,by love the ,christian ,scientists do not mean a personal attribute of ,god1 but an impersonal abstraction which is itself ,god4 ,mrs4 ,eddy frankly and flatly denies the personality of ,god4 ,the ,christian ,scientists not only say1 ,god is love1 but they also say1 ,love is ,god4 ,they not only say1 ,god is good1 but they also say1 ,good is ,god4 ,to say ,love is ,god is an utterly different statement from saying1 ,god is love4 ,you might just as well say ,spirit is ,god1 because ,god says1 ,god is spirit1 but all spirit is not ,god4 ,or you might as well say1 ,light is ,god1 because ,god is light1 but light is not ,god and love is not ,god1 though ,god is love and ,god is light and ,god is spirit4 ,what is meant by love in the inspired statement1 ,god is ,love8 ,what is meant by the statement1 ,god is ,love1 is shown by the definition or description of love given in the context and in the immediately preceding chapter--#a ,john #c3ac-ah4 ,these verses clearly show that by the statement in #a ,john #d3h and #a ,john #d3af1 ,god is ,love is not meant that ,god is an abstract quality1 love1 and that the abstract quality of love is ,god1 but what is meant is that ,god is a person whose whole being and conduct are dominated by the quality of love1 that is1 by a desire for and delight in the highest welfare of others4 ,this will be evident to you if ,i read from the immediately preceding chapter 7#a ,john #c3ac-ag73 ,marvel not1 brethren1 if the world hateth you4 7#ad7 ,we know that we have passed out of death into life1 because we love the brethren4 ,he that loveth not abideth in death4 7#ae7 ,whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer3 and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him4 7#af7 ,hereby know we love1 because he laid down his life for us3 and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren4 7#ag7 ,but whoso hath the world's goods1 and beholdeth his brother in need1 and shutteth up his compassion from him1 how doth the love of ,god abide in him8 7#ah7 ,my little children1 let us not love in word1 neither with the tongue2 but in deed and truth4 ,and from this chapter 7#a ,john #d3g-ag73 ,beloved1 let us love one another3 for love is of ,god2 and every one that loveth is begotten of ,god1 and knoweth ,god4 7#h7 ,he that loveth not knoweth not ,god2 for ,god is love4 7#i7 ,herein was the love of ,god manifested in us1 that ,god hath sent his only begotten ,son into the world that we might live through him4 7#aj7 ,herein is love1 not that we loved ,god1 but that he loved us1 and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins4 7#aa7 ,beloved1 if ,god so loved us1 we also ought to love one another4 7#ab7 ,no man hath beheld ,god at any time3 ,if we love one another1 ,god abideth in us1 and his love is perfected in us3 7#ac7 ,hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us1 because he hath given us of his spirit4 7#ad7 ,and we have beheld and bear witness that the father hath sent the ,son to be the ,saviour of the world4 7#ae7 ,whosoever shall confess that ,jesus is the son of ,god1 ,god abideth in him1 and he in ,god4 7#af7 ,and we know and have believed the love which ,god hath in us4 ,god is ,love2 and he that hath abideth in love abideth in ,god1 and ,god abideth in him4 7#ag7 ,herein is love made perfect with us1 that we may have boldness in the day of judgment2 because as he is1 even so are we in this world4 ,the ,god of what is called ,modern ,philosophy is ,the ,absolute1 and by ,the ,absolute is generally meant a cold abstraction and not a clear1 definite and warm personality ,who loves1 grieves1 suffers1 and ,who works intelligently for others4 ,and oftentimes the ,god of modern philosophy is not only in all things but is all things and all things are ,god4 ,such a ,god is no ,god at all4 ,whereas the ,god of the ,bible1 as we shall see as we proceed1 is a ,divine ,person who exists apart from the world which ,he has created and ,who existed before the world ,he created1 ,who bears definite relations to the world ,he has made and ,who works along definite and clearly revealed lines4 ,so we come face to face with the question1 ,what sort of a ,being is the ,god of the ,bible1 the real ,god1 the one true ,god1 the ,god of ,christianity1 the only ,god ,whom we should worship and love and obey8 ,the ,kaiser also talks much about ,god and his followers are fond of saying1 ,gott mit uns1 but if any one will carefully study the ,kaiser's utterances it becomes plain that he does not mean by ,god the ,god of the ,bible1 the ,christian ,god1 the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,i4 ,,god ,,is ,,spirit ,first of all ,god is ,spirit4 ,this we read in our first text3 ,john #d3bd1 ,god is ,spirit4 ,you will note that in your ,bible1 both the ,authorised and ,revised ,versions1 you read1 ,god is a ,spirit4 ,but there is no indefinite article in the ,greek language1 and wherever it is necessary in the ,english translation to fit the ,english idiom1 it has to be supplied1 and it is supplied1 in this case4 ,but there is really no reason for supplying it here any more than there is for supplying it in #a ,john #d3h and translating1 ,god is a ,love1 or in #a ,john #a3e and translating ,god is a ,light4 ,the preferable translation is as ,i have given it3 ,god is ,spirit4 ,this is a definition of the essential nature of ,god4 ,what does it mean8 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,himself has defined what is meant by spirit in ,luke #bd3ci1 where ,he is recorded as saying after ,his resurrection3 ,see ,my hands and ,my feet1 that it is ,i ,myself2 handle ,me1 and see1 for a spirit not flesh and blood1 as ye behold ,me having4 ,it is evident from these words of our ,lord that spirit is that which is contrasted to body4 ,that is to say1 spirit is incorporeal1 invisible reality4 ,to say1 ,god is ,spirit is to say that ,god is essentially incorporeal and invisible 7cf4 #a ,tim4 #f3af71 that ,god in ,his essential nature is not material but immaterial and invisible1 but none the less real4 ,this thought is also found in the very heart of that revelation of ,himself which ,god made to ,moses in the first division of the ,old ,testament4 ,for example1 we read in ,deut4 #d3ae-ah3 ,take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves2 for ye saw no manner of form on the day that ,jehovah spake unto you in ,horeb out of the midst of the fire2 7#af7 lest ye corrupt yourselves1 and make you a graven image in the form of any figure1 the likeness of male or female1 7#ag7 the likeness of any beast that is on the earth1 the likeness of any winged bird that flieth in the ,heavens4 7#ah7 ,the likeness of anything that creepeth on the ground1 the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth4 ,this is a plain declaration way back fifteen centuries before ,christ1 of the spirituality of ,god in ,his essential nature4 ,god is essentially invisible spirit4 ,but it is also clearly revealed in the ,word of ,god that spirit may be manifested in visible1 bodily form4 ,we read in ,john #a3cb these words of ,john the ,baptist speaking about what his own eyes had seen3 ,and ,john bore witness1 saying1 ,i have beheld the ,spirit descending as a dove out of heaven2 and it abode upon him4 ,here1 then1 we see ,him who was essentially spirit manifesting ,himself in a bodily1 visible form4 ,furthermore in the ,bible we are told that ,god has manifested ,himself in visible form4 ,we read in ,ex4 #bd3i1 #aj3 ,then went up ,moses1 and ,aaron1 ,nadab1 and ,abihu1 and seventy of the elders of ,israel3 7#aj7 and they saw the ,god of ,israel2 and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone1 and as it were the very heaven for clearness4 ,what they saw was not ,god in ,his essential nature as ,spiritual ,being4 ,indeed1 what we see when we see one another is not our essential self1 but the house we live in1 and so ,john could say1 as he does say in ,john #a3ah3 ,no man hath seen ,god at any time4 ,and so ,i could say to you now that you do not see me4 ,nevertheless1 it was a real manifestation of ,god ,himself that they saw1 and so it could also be said1 and said truthfully1 that they had seen ,god1 as it could be truthfully said1 you see me4 ,furthermore still1 though ,god is essentially spirit1 ,god has a visible form4 ,this is taught in the most unmistakable terms in ,phil4 #b3f1 where we are told of our ,lord ,jesus that ,he existed originally in the form of ,god4 ,the ,greek word which is translated form in this passage means visible form1 the form by which a person or thing strikes the vision1 the external appearance4 ,it cannot mean anything else4 ,this is the definition given in the best ,greek-,english lexicon of the ,new ,testament1 of the word here translated form4 ,now as ,jesus existed originally in the form of ,god1 it is evident that ,god ,himself must have a form1 this form in which our ,lord ,jesus is said to have existed originally4 ,that ,god in ,his external form1 though not in ,his invisible essence1 is seeable1 is also clear from ,acts #g3ee1 #ef1 where we read3 ,but he 7i4e41 ,stephen71 being full of the ,holy ,ghost1 looked up steadfastly into heaven1 and saw the glory of ,god1 and ,jesus standing on the right hand of ,god1 and said1 ,behold1 ,i see the heavens open1 and the ,son of man standing on the right hand of ,god4 ,now if ,god has not a form that can be seen1 then1 of course1 the ,lord ,jesus could not be seen standing upon the right hand of ,god4 ,god is1 as we shall see later1 everywhere2 but ,god is not everywhere in the same sense4 ,there is a locality where ,god is visibly and manifestly present in a way in which ,he is not present anywhere else4 ,there is a place where ,he is present visibly and manifests ,himself as ,he does not elsewhere4 ,the place of ,god's visible presence and full manifestation of ,himself is ,heaven1 though in ,his spiritual presence ,he pervades the universe4 ,this is evident from many passages in the ,scriptures4 ,for example1 it is clear from the prayer that our ,lord taught us--a portion of ,scripture that many accept who reject most of the ,bible4 ,our ,lord began the prayer that ,he taught ,his disciples with these words ,our ,father ,which ,art in ,heaven4 ,if these words mean anything1 they certainly mean that ,god1 our ,father1 is in heaven in a way in which ,he is not elsewhere4 ,that was where ,god was when ,jesus was addressing ,him4 ,we read again in ,matt4 #c3ag3 ,lo1 a voice out of the heavens1 saying1 this is my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4 ,if these words mean anything1 they mean that ,god was in heaven and that ,his voice came out of the heavens to the ,lord ,jesus who was here on earth4 ,again in ,john #ad3bh ,jesus is recorded as saying3 ,ye heard how ,i said to you1 ,i go away and ,i come again unto you4 ,if ye loved me1 ye would have rejoiced1 because ,i go unto the ,father3 for the ,father is greater than ,i4 ,if these words mean anything1 taken in the light of the events that were to follow on the next day and the days following1 they mean that ,jesus was going away from the place where ,he then was--earth--to another place where ,he was not when ,he spoke1 i4e41 heaven--and that in going to heaven he was going to where ,god was1 from earth where ,god was not in the sense in which ,he was in heaven4 ,again we read in ,acts #aa3i3 ,a voice answered the second time out of heaven1 ,what ,god hath cleansed make not thou common4 ,here again ,god is represented as speaking from heaven where ,he was4 ,again our ,lord ,jesus ,christ is recorded in ,john #bj3ag as saying to ,mary ,magdalene after ,his resurrection3 ,touch me not2 for ,i am not yet ascended unto the ,father3 but go unto my brethren and say to them1 ,i ascend unto my father and to your father and my ,god and your ,god1 from which it is unmistakably evident that in the conception of our ,lord ,jesus after ,his resurrection there was a place where ,god was and to which ,he was going1 and that place was up in heaven4 ,there is no possibility of explaining this away by saying it is a figure of speech1 the whole passage loses its meaning by any such interpretation1 and to attempt to so explain it is a trick and a subterfuge that will not bear close examination4 ,again the ,apostle ,paul tells us regarding our ,lord ,jesus ,christ that ,god the ,father raised ,him from the dead1 and made ,him to sit at ,his right hand in the heavenly places 7,eph4 #a3bj7 which makes it as clear as language can make anything that there is a place1 heaven1 where ,god is in a sense that ,he is nowhere else1 and where one can be placed at ,his right hand4 ,the same thing is evident from the verses that we have already quoted in another connection1 ,acts #g3ee1 #ef1 where we are told that ,stephen being full of the ,holy ,ghost1 looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of ,god1 and ,jesus standing at the right hand of ,god1 and said1 ,behold1 ,i see the heavens open1 and the ,son of man standing on the right hand of ,god4 ,the meaning of these words to anybody who wishes to know what words are intended to convey and not merely to distort them to fit his own conception1 is that ,god is in heaven locally present4 ,there is no escaping this by any fair1 honest interpretation4 ,men who are skilful in the art of discrediting truth by giving it bad names1 and names that sound very scholarly1 may call this anthropomorphism1 and that sounds very learned4 ,nevertheless1 be it anthropomorphism or what not1 this is the clear teaching of the ,word of ,god in spite of this or any other frightful terms used to scare immature college boys and immature college girls4 ,there is no mistaking that this is the teaching of the ,bible1 and we have already proven that the ,bible is ,god's ,word1 and is to be taken at its face value in spite of all the attempts that men1 who counting themselves wise1 have become fools1 make to explain it away4 ,,ii4 ,,god ,,is ,a ,,person ,the next thing that the ,bible teaches about ,god is that ,god is a person4 ,that is to say ,he is a being who knows1 feels1 loves1 hears prayer1 speaks1 acts1 a being who acts intelligently upon us and upon whom we can act4 ,while ,god is in all things1 ,he is a personality distinct from the persons and things in which ,he is1 which ,he has created4 ,the ,bible1 both in the ,old and ,new ,testaments is full of this vital conception of a living ,god as distinguished from the mere cold abstraction of ,the ,absolute1 or ,the ,infinite1 or ,the ,supreme ,being1 or ,the ,great ,first ,cause of which ,modern ,philosophy loves to prate4 ,for example1 we read in ,jer4 #aj3aj-af3 ,but ,jehovah is the true ,god2 he is the living ,god1 and an everlasting king3 at his wrath the earth trembleth1 and the nations are not able to abide his indignation4 7#aa7 ,thus shall ye say unto them1 the gods that have not made the heaven and the earth1 these shall perish from the earth1 and from under the heavens4 7#ab7 ,he hath made the earth by his power1 he hath established the world by his wisdom1 and by his understanding hath he stretched out the heavens4 7#ac7 ,when he uttereth his voice1 there is a tumult of waters in the heavens1 and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth2 he maketh lightnings for the rain1 and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries4 7#ad7 ,every man is become brutish and is without knowledge2 every goldsmith is put to shame by his graven image2 for his molten image is falsehood1 and there is no breath in them4 7#ae7 ,they are vanity1 a work of delusion2 in the time of their visitation they shall perish4 7#af7 ,the portion of ,jacob is not like these2 for he is the former of all things2 and ,israel is the tribe of his inheritance3 ,jehovah of hosts is his name4 ,in this passage ,god is distinguished from idols which are things and not persons1 things which speak not cannot act1 cannot do good neither is it in them to do evil2 and we are told that ,jehovah is wiser than all the wise men4 ,is the living ,god1 an everlasting ,king1 a being who hath wrath and indignation1 separate from ,his creatures--at ,his wrath the earth trembleth and the nations are not able to abide ,his indignation4 ,in ,acts #ad3ae we read3 ,sirs1 why do ye these things8 ,we also are men of like passions with you1 and bring you good tidings1 that ye should turn from these things unto the living ,god1 who made heaven and earth and sea1 and all that in them is4 ,here also we have the representation of ,god as a personal being distinct from ,his created work1 and also to be clearly distinguished from the idols which are not living gods4 ,in #a ,thess4 #a3i1 the converts at ,thessalonica are represented as turning from dead gods1 idols1 to serve the living and true ,god4 ,in #b ,chron4 #af3i we are told that ,the eyes of ,jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth1 to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him1 and in ,ps4 #id3i1 #aj we read3 ,he that planteth the ear1 shall he not hear8 ,he that formed the eye1 shall he not see8 ,he that punisheth nations1 shall not he correct8 ,even he that teacheth men knowledge8 ,this is clearly the representation of a personal ,god and not a mere abstraction like ,the ,absolute1 or ,the ,infinite1 or ,the ,supreme ,being4 ,the clear distinction between ,god1 who is immanent in all things1 and dwells in believers1 and the beings and persons in whom ,he dwells1 is brought out very clearly by our ,lord ,himself in ,john #ad3aj3 ,believest thou not that ,i am in the ,father and the ,father in me8 ,the words that ,i say unto you ,i speak not from myself3 ,but the ,father abiding in me doeth his work4 ,and again in the #bdth verse of the same chapter where our ,lord ,jesus distinguishes between ,his own personality and that of the ,father1 who dwelt in ,him1 in these words3 ,he that loveth me not keepeth not my words3 and the word which ye hear is not mine1 but the ,father's who sent me4 ,this conception of ,god pervades the entire ,bible4 ,the view of ,god presented in the ,bible is utterly different from the conception of ,pantheism and ,buddhism and ,theosophy and ,christian ,science4 ,this conception is found in the opening words of the ,bible1 ,gen4 #a3a3 ,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth4 ,here the ,god of the ,bible is clearly differentiated from the so-called ,god of ,pantheism1 and the ,god of ,christian ,science4 ,and this same conception of ,god is found in the last chapter of the ,bible1 and it is found in every chapter of the ,bible between the first and the last4 ,the ,god of the ,bible is a ,personal ,being ,who1 while ,he created all things and is in all things1 is a distinct personality separate from the persons and things ,he has created4 ,,iii4 ,,god',s ,,present ,,relation ,,to ,,the ,,world ,,and ,,to ,,men ,we turn now to a consideration of the present relation of this ,personal ,god presented to us in the ,bible1 to the world ,he has created and to the men whom ,he has created4 #a4 ,in the first place we find that ,god sustains1 governs and cares for the world ,he has created4 ,he shapes the whole present history of the world4 ,this comes out again and again4 ,a few illustrations must suffice4 ,we read in ,ps4 #ajd3bg-cj3 ,these wait all for thee1 that thou mayest give them their food in due season4 7#bh7 ,thou givest unto them1 they gather2 thou openest thy hand1 they are satisfied with good4 7#bi7 ,thou hidest thy face1 they are troubled2 thou takest away their breath1 they die1 and return to their dust4 7#cj7 ,thou sendest forth thy spirit1 they are created2 and thou renewest the face of the ground4 ,and again in ,ps4 #ge3f1 #g3 ,for neither from the east1 nor from the west1 nor yet from the south1 cometh lifting up4 7#g7 ,but ,god is the judge3 he putteth down one1 and lifteth up another4 ,all these passages and others that could be cited1 set forth the same conception of ,god's present relation to the world which ,he has created4 ,they show1 as we have said1 that ,god sustains1 governs and cares for the work ,he has created2 that ,he shapes the whole present history of the world4 #b4 ,now let us look at ,his relation to the affairs of men4 ,we will find that ,god has a present1 personal interest and an active hand in the affairs of men2 that ,he makes a path for ,his people and leads them2 that ,he delivers1 saves and punishes4 ,here four illustrations from the ,bible must suffice4 ,first of all ,joshua #c3aj3 ,and ,joshua said1 ,hereby ye shall know that the living ,god is among you1 and that he will without fail drive out from before you the ,canaanite1 and the ,hittite1 and the ,hivite1 and the ,perizzite1 and the ,girgashite1 and the ,amorite1 and the ,jebusite4 ,now turn to ,dan4 #f3bj-bb1 #bf1 #bg4 ,and when he came near unto the den to ,daniel1 he cried with a lamentable voice3 the king spake and said to ,daniel1 ,o ,daniel1 servant of the living ,god1 is thy ,god1 whom thou servest continually1 able to deliver thee from the lions8 7#ba7 ,then said ,daniel unto the king1 ,o king1 live for ever4 7#bb7 ,my ,god hath sent his angel1 and hath shut the lions' mouths1 and they have not hurt me3 forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me2 and also before thee1 ,o king1 have ,i done no hurt4 4 4 4 7#bf7 ,i make a decree1 that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the ,god of ,daniel2 for he is the living ,god1 and stedfast for ever1 and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even unto the end4 7#bg7 ,he delivereth and rescueth1 and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth1 who hath delivered ,daniel from the power of the lions4 ,now turn to #a ,tim4 #d3aj3 ,for to this end we labour and strive1 because we have our hope set on the living ,god1 who is the ,saviour of all men1 specially of them that believe1 and now turn to ,heb4 #aj3bh-ca3 ,a man that hath set at nought ,moses' law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses3 7#bi7 ,of how much sorer punishment1 think ye1 shall he be judged worthy1 who hath trodden under foot the ,son of ,god8 and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing1 and hath done despite unto the ,spirit of grace8 7#cj7 ,for we know him that said1 ,vengeance belongeth unto me1 ,i will recompense4 ,and again1 ,the ,lord shall judge his people4 7#ca7 ,it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living ,god4 ,in all of these passages we have this same conception of ,god in ,his relation to man1 viz41 that ,god has a personal interest and an active hand in the affairs of men2 that ,he makes a path for ,his people and leads them2 that ,he delivers1 saves and punishes them4 ,the ,god of the ,bible is to be clearly distinguished not merely from the ,god of the ,pantheists who has no existence separate from ,his creation1 but also from the ,god of the ,deists who has created the world and put into it all the necessary powers of self-government and development and set it going and left it to go of itself4 ,the ,god of the ,bible is a ,god who is personally and actively present in the affairs of the universe to-day4 ,he sustains1 governs1 cares for the world ,he has created1 ,he shapes the whole present history of the world4 ,he has a present personal interest and an active hand in the affairs of men and ,he it is that is back of all the events that are occurring to-day4 ,he reigns and makes even the wrath of men to praise ,him1 and the remainder of wrath doth ,he restrain4 ,the ,kaiser may rage1 armies may clash1 force and violence and outrage may seem triumphant for the passing hour1 but ,god stands back of all2 and through all the confusion and the discord and the turmoil and the agony and the ruin1 through all the outrageous atrocities that are making men's hearts stand still with horror1 ,he is carrying out ,his own purposes of love and making all things work together for good to those who love ,him4 ,,iii ,,the ,,christian ,,conception ,,of ,,god--,,the ,,infinite ,,perfection ,,and ,,unity ,,of ,,god ,god is ,light4--#a ,john #a3e4 ,god is ,love4--#a ,john #d3h1 #af4 ,with ,god ,all ,things are ,possible4--,matt4 #ai3bf4 ,his ,understanding is ,infinite4--,ps4 #adg3e4 ,we are to consider again to-day the ,christian conception of ,god4 ,we saw a week ago to-day that ,god is ,spirit1 that ,god is a person and that ,god has a personal interest and an active hand in the affairs of men to-day1 that ,he sustains1 governs and cares for the world ,he has created and that ,he shapes the whole present history of the world4 ,i4 ,,the ,,infinite ,,perfection ,,of ,,god ,the next thing to be noted about the ,christian conception of ,god is1 that ,god is perfect and infinite in all ,his intellectual and moral attributes and in power4 #a4 ,first of all1 fix your attention upon our first text3 ,god is ,light 7#a ,john #a3e74 ,these three words form a marvellously beautiful and overwhelmingly impressive statement of the truth4 ,they set forth the ,absolute ,holiness and ,perfect ,wisdom of ,god4 ,the words need rather to be meditated upon than to be expounded4 ,in ,him is no darkness at all4 ,that is to say1 in ,him is no darkness of error1 no darkness of ignorance1 no darkness of sin1 no darkness of moral imperfection or intellectual imperfection of any kind4 ,the three words1 ,god is ,light1 form one of the most beautiful1 one of the most striking and one of the most stupendous statements of truth that was ever penned4 #b4 ,to come to things more specific1 the ,god of the ,bible is omnipotent4 ,this great truth comes out again and again in the ,word of ,god4 ,one direct statement of this great truth especially striking because of the connection in which it is found1 occurs in ,jer4 #cb3ag1 #bg3 ,ah ,lord ,jehovah6 ,behold1 thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thine outstretched arm3 there is nothing too hard for thee4 ,here it is ,jeremiah who makes the statement1 but in the #bgth verse it is ,jehovah ,himself who says3 ,behold1 ,i am ,jehovah1 the ,god of all flesh3 is there anything too hard for me8 ,in ,job #db3b we read these words of ,job1 when at last he has been brought to see and to recognise the true nature of ,jehovah3 ,i know that thou canst do all things and that no purpose of thine can be restrained4 ,in ,matt4 #ai3bf our ,lord ,jesus says3 ,with ,god all things are possible4 ,taking these passages together1 we are plainly taught by our ,lord ,himself and by others that ,god can do all things1 that nothing is too hard for ,him1 that all things are possible with ,him4 ,in a word1 that ,god is omnipotent4 ,a very impressive passage in the book of ,psalms setting forth this same great truth is ,ps4 #cc3f-i3 ,by the word of ,jehovah were the heavens made1 and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth4 7#g7 ,he gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap3 he layeth up the deeps in storehouses4 7#h7 ,let all the earth fear ,jehovah3 let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him4 7#i7 ,for he spake1 and it was done2 he commanded1 and it stood fast4 ,here we see ,god by the mere utterance of ,his voice bringing to pass anything that ,he desires to be brought to pass4 ,we find this same lofty conception of ,god in the very first chapter of the ,bible1 that chapter that so many people who imagine themselves scholarly are telling us is outgrown and not up to date1 and yet which contains some of the sublimest utterances that were ever written1 unmatched by anything that any philosopher or scientist or platform orator is saying to-day4 ,the very first words of that chapter read3 ,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth 7,gen4 #a3a71 a description of the origin of things that has never been matched for simplicity1 sublimity and profundity2 and two verses further down1 in the third verse1 we read3 ,and ,god said1 ,let there be light3 and light was4 ,these words need no comment4 ,there is here a sublimity of thought in the setting forth of the omnipotence of ,god's mere word before which any truly intelligent and alert soul will stand in wonder and awe4 ,there is nothing in poetry or in philosophical dissertation1 ancient or modern1 that can for one moment be put in comparison with these sublime words4 ,over and over again the thought is brought out in the ,word of ,god that all nature is absolutely subject to ,god's will and word4 ,we see this1 for example1 in ,ps4 #ajg3be-bi3 ,for he commandeth1 and raiseth the stormy wind1 which lifteth up the waves thereof4 7#bf7 ,they mount up to the heavens1 they go down again to the depths3 their soul melteth away because of trouble4 7#bg7 ,they reel to and fro1 and stagger like a drunken man1 and are at their wits' end4 7#bh7 ,then they cry unto ,jehovah in their trouble1 and he bringeth them out of their distresses4 7#bi7 ,he maketh the storm a calm1 so that the waves thereof are still4 ,another description of a similar character is found in ,nahum #a3c-f3 ,jehovah is slow to anger1 and great in power1 and will by no means clear the guilty3 ,jehovah hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm1 and the clouds are the dust of his feet4 7#d7 ,he rebuketh the sea1 and maketh it dry1 and drieth up all the rivers3 ,bashan languisheth1 and ,carmel and the flower of ,lebanon languisheth4 7#e7 ,the mountains quake at him1 and the hills melt2 and the earth is upheaved at his presence1 yea1 the world1 and all that dwell therein4 7#f7 ,who can stand before his indignation8 and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger8 ,his wrath is poured out like fire1 and the rocks are broken asunder by him4 ,what a picture we have here of the omnipotence and awful majesty of ,god6 ,not only is nature represented as being absolutely subject to ,god's will and word1 but men also are represented as being absolutely subject to ,his will and word4 ,for example1 we read in ,jas4 #d3ab-ae3 ,one only is the lawgiver and judge1 even he who is able to save and to destroy3 ,but who art thou that judgest thy neighbour8 7#ac7 ,come now1 ye that say1 to-day or to-morrow we will go into this city1 and spend a year there1 and trade1 and get gain3 7#ad7 ,whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow4 ,what is your life8 ,for ye are a vapour that appeareth for a little time1 and then vanisheth away4 7#ae7 ,for that ye ought to say1 if the ,lord will1 we shall both live1 and do this or that4 ,happy is the man who voluntarily subjects himself to ,god's will and word1 but whether we voluntarily subject ourselves to ,god's will and word or not1 we are subject to ,his will and word whether or no4 ,the angels also are subject to ,his will and word 7,heb4 #a3ac1 #ad7 and even ,satan himself is1 although entirely against his own will1 absolutely subject to the will and word of ,god1 as is evident from ,job #a3ab and ,job #b3f4 ,the exercise of ,god's omnipotence is limited by ,his own wise and holy and loving will4 ,god can do anything1 but will do only that which infinite wisdom and holiness and love dictate4 ,this comes out1 for example1 in ,isa4 #ei3a1 #b3 ,behold1 ,jehovah's hand is not shortened1 that it cannot save2 neither his ear heavy1 that it cannot hear3 7#b7 ,but your iniquities have separated between you and your ,god1 and your sins have hid his face from you1 that he will not hear4 #c4 ,the ,god of the ,bible is also omniscient4 ,in #a ,john #c3bj we read3 ,god knoweth all things4 ,turning to the ,old ,testament1 in ,ps4 #adg3e1 we read3 ,great is our ,lord1 and mighty in power2 his understanding is infinite4 ,the literal translation of the last clause of this passage is ,of his understanding there is no number4 ,in these passages it is plainly declared that ,god knoweth all things and that ,his understanding is infinite4 ,in ,job #cg3af ,elihu the messenger of ,god is represented as saying that ,jehovah is perfect in knowledge4 ,along the same line1 in ,acts #ae3ah we read3 ,known unto ,god are all his works from the beginning of the world4 ,the ,revised ,version makes a change in the translation of this verse but this change does not alter the sense of the truth here set forth that ,god knows all ,his works and all things from the beginning of the world4 ,known to ,him is everything from the most vast to the most minute detail4 ,in ,ps4 #adg3d we are told that1 ,he telleth the number of the stars2 he knoweth them all by name4 ,while in ,matt4 #aj3bi we are told that not a sparrow falleth to the ground without ,him4 ,the stars in all their stupendous magnitude and the sparrows in all their insignificance are all equally in ,his mind4 ,we are further told that everything has a part in ,his purpose and plan4 ,in ,acts #c3ag1 #ah1 the ,apostle ,peter says of the crucifixion of our ,lord1 the wickedest act in all the history of the human race3 ,and now1 brethren1 ,i wot that in ignorance ye did it1 as did also your rulers4 ,but the things which ,god foreshowed by the mouth of all the prophets1 that his ,christ should suffer1 he thus fulfilled4 ,in ,acts #b3bc ,peter declared on the day of ,pentecost 7although the crucifixion of the ,lord ,jesus was the wickedest act in all history7 that nevertheless the ,lord ,jesus was ,delivered up by the determinate council and foreknowledge of ,god4 ,according to the ,psalmist 7,ps4 #gf3aj7 ,god takes the acts of the wickedest men into ,his plans and makes the wrath of men to praise ,him1 and the remainder of wrath doth ,he restrain4 ,even the present war with all its horrors1 with all its atrocities1 with all its abominations and all its nameless wickednesses1 was foreknown of ,god and taken into ,his own gracious plan of the ages2 and ,he will make every event in this present war1 even the most shocking things1 designed by the vilest conspiracy of unprincipled men1 utterly unhuman and beastly men and ,devil inspired men1 work together for good to those who love ,god1 for those who are the called according to ,his purpose 7,rom4 #h3bh74 ,the whole plan of the ages1 not merely of the centuries1 but of the immeasurable ages of ,god1 and every man's part in it1 has been known to ,god from all eternity4 ,this is made very clear in ,eph4 #a3i-ab1 where we read3 ,having made known unto us the mystery of his will1 according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times1 to sum up all things in ,christ1 the things in the heavens1 and the things upon the earth2 in him1 ,i say1 in whom also we were made a heritage1 having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will2 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory1 we who before hoped in ,christ4 ,and in ,eph4 #c3d-i1 we read3 ,wherefore when ye read1 ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of ,christ2 which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men1 as it is now revealed unto his holy prophets and apostles in the ,spirit2 to wit1 that the ,gentiles are fellow-heirs1 and fellow-members of the body1 and fellow-partakers of the promise in ,christ ,jesus through the gospel1 whereof ,i was made a minister1 according to the gift of that grace of ,god which was given me according to the working of his power4 ,unto me1 who am less than the least of all saints1 was this grace given1 to preach unto the ,gentiles the unsearchable riches of ,christ2 and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which from all ages has been hid in ,god who created all things4 ,there are no after-thoughts with ,god4 ,everything is seen1 known1 purposed and planned for from the outset4 ,well may we exclaim3 ,oh1 the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of ,god3 how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out4 7,rom4 #aa3cc47 ,god knows from all eternity what ,he will do to all eternity4 #d4 ,god is also absolutely and infinitely holy4 ,this is a point of central and fundamental importance in the ,bible conception of ,god4 ,it comes out in our first text3 ,god is light1 and in him is no darkness at all4 ,john when he wrote these words gave them as the summary of ,the message which we have heard from ,god4 7#a ,john #a3e47 ,in ,isa4 #f3c in the vision of ,jehovah which was given to ,isaiah in the year that ,king ,uzziah died1 the seraphim1 or burning ones1 burning in their own intense holiness1 are represented as standing before ,jehovah with covered faces and covered feet and constantly crying1 ,holy1 holy1 holy1 is ,jehovah of ,hosts4 ,and in #a ,pet4 #a3af ,god cries to us1 ,be ye holy1 for ,i am holy4 ,this thought of the infinite and awe-inspiring holiness of ,god pervades the entire ,bible4 ,it underlies everything in it4 ,the entire ,mosaic system is built upon and about this fundamental and central truth4 ,its system of washings2 the divisions of the tabernacle2 the divisions of the people into ordinary ,israelites1 ,levites1 ,priests and ,high ,priests1 who were permitted different degrees of approach to ,god under strictly defined conditions1 insistence upon sacrifices of blood as the necessary medium of approach to ,god2 ,god's directions to ,moses in ,ex4 #c3e1 to ,joshua in ,josh4 #e3ae1 the punishment of ,uzziah in #b ,chron4 #bf3af-bf1 the strict orders to ,israel in regard to approaching ,sinai when ,jehovah came down upon it2 the doom of ,korah1 ,dathan and ,abiram in ,num4 #af3a-cc2 and the destruction of ,nadab and ,abihu in ,lev4 #aj3a-c3 all these were intended to teach1 emphasise and burn into the minds and hearts of the ,israelites the fundamental truth that ,god is holy1 unapproachably holy4 ,the truth that ,god is holy is the fundamental truth of the ,bible1 of the ,old ,testament and the ,new ,testament1 of the ,jewish religion and the ,christian religion4 ,it is the preminent factor in the ,christian conception of ,god4 ,there is no fact in the ,christian ,conception of ,god that needs more to be emphasised in our day than the fact of the absolute1 unqualified and uncompromising holiness of ,god4 ,that is the chief note that is lacking in ,christian ,science1 ,theosophy1 ,occultism1 ,buddhism1 ,new ,thought1 the ,new ,theology and all the base but boasted cults of the day4 ,that great truth underlies those fundamental doctrines of the ,bible1--the ,atonement by ,shed ,blood and ,justification by ,faith4 ,the doctrine of the holiness of ,god is the keystone in the arch of ,christian truth4 #e4 ,god is also love4 ,this truth is declared in one of our texts4 ,the words ,god is love are found twice in the same chapter 7#a ,john #d3h1 #af74 ,this truth is essentially the same truth as that ,god is light and ,god is holy1 for the very essence of true holiness is love1 and light is love and love is light4 #f4 ,furthermore1 ,god is not only perfect in ,his intellectual and moral attributes and in power1 ,he is also omnipresent4 ,this thought of ,god comes out in both the ,old ,testament and the ,new4 ,in ,ps4 #aci3g-aj we read3 ,whither shall ,i go from thy ,spirit8 ,or whither shall ,i flee from thy presence8 7#h7 ,if ,i ascend up into heaven1 thou art there3 ,if ,i make my bed in ,sheol1 behold thou art there4 7#i7 ,if ,i take the wings of the morning1 and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea2 7#aj7 ,even there shall thy hand lead me1 and thy right hand shall hold me4 ,there is no place where one can flee from ,god's presence1 for ,god is everywhere4 ,this great truth is set forth in a remarkable way in ,jer4 #bc3bc1 #bd3 ,am ,i a ,god at hand1 saith ,jehovah1 and not a ,god afar off8 7#bd7 ,can any hide himself in secret places that ,i shall not see him8 saith ,jehovah4 ,do not ,i fill heaven and earth8 saith ,jehovah4 ,last week we saw that ,god has a local habitation1 that there is a place where ,he exists and manifests ,himself in a way in which ,he does not manifest ,himself everywhere2 but while we insist upon that clearly revealed truth1 we must also never lose sight of the fact that ,god is everywhere4 ,we find this same truth set forth by ,paul in his sermon to the ,epicurean and ,stoic philosophers on ,mars ,hill1 ,acts #ag3bd-bh3 ,the ,god that made the world1 and all things therein1 he1 being ,lord of heaven and earth1 dwelleth not in temples made with hands3 7#be7 ,neither is served by men's hands as though he needed anything1 seeing he himself giveth to all life and breath and all things4 7#bf7 ,and he made of one every nation of men who dwell on all the face of the earth1 having determined their appointed seasons1 and the bounds of their habitations4 7#bg7 ,for in him we live1 and move1 and have our being2 as certain even of your own poets have said1 for we are also his offspring4 ,from these passages we see that ,god is everywhere4 ,he is in all parts of the universe and near each individual4 ,in ,him each individual lives and moves and has his being4 ,he is in every rose and lily and blade of grass4 #g4 ,there is one other thought in the ,christian conception of ,god that needs to be placed alongside of ,his omnipresence and that is ,his eternity4 ,god is eternal4 ,his existence had no beginning and will have no ending1 ,he always was1 always is and always shall be4 ,god is not only everywhere present in space1 ,he is everywhere present in time4 ,this conception of ,god appears constantly in the ,bible4 ,we are told way back in ,gen4 #ba3cc that ,abraham called ,on the name of ,jehovah1 the everlasting ,god4 ,in ,isa4 #dj3bh we read this description of ,jehovah3 ,hast thou not known8 ,hast thou not heard8 ,the everlasting ,god1 ,jehovah1 the creator of the ends of the earth1 fainteth not1 neither is weary2 there is no searching of his understanding4 ,here again ,he is called ,the ,everlasting ,god4 ,habakkuk in ,hab4 #a3ab sets forth the same conception of ,god4 ,he says1 ,art not thou from everlasting1 ,o ,jehovah my ,god1 mine holy one8 ,the ,psalmist gives us the same representation of ,god in ,ps4 #ij3b1 #d3 ,before the mountains were brought forth1 or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world1 even from everlasting to everlasting thou art ,god4 7#d7 ,for a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is passed1 and as a watch in the night4 ,we have the same representation of ,god in the #ajbnd ,ps41 verses #bd-bg3 ,i said1 ,o my ,god1 take me not away in the midst of my days3 ,thy years are throughout all generations4 7#be7 ,of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth2 and the heavens are the work of thy hands4 7#bf7 ,they shall perish1 but thou shalt endure2 yea1 all of them shall wax old like a garment2 as a vesture shalt thou change them1 and they shall be changed2 7#bg7 ,but thou art the same1 and thy years shall have no end4 ,the very name of ,god1 ,his covenant name1 ,jehovah1 sets forth ,his eternity4 ,he is the eternal ,i am1 the ,one who is1 was and ever shall be4 7,cf4 ,ex4 #c3ad1 #ae47 ,,ii4 ,,there ,,is ,,one ,,god ,one more fact about the ,christian conception of ,god remains to be mentioned and that is3 ,there is but one ,god4 ,the ,unity of ,god comes out again and again in both the ,old ,testament and the ,new4 ,for example1 we read in ,deut4 #d3ce3 ,jehovah he is ,god4 ,there is none else beside him4 ,and in ,deut4 #f3d we read3 ,hear ,o ,israel3 ,jehovah our ,god is one ,jehovah4 ,turning to the ,new ,testament in #a ,tim4 #b3e we read3 ,there is one ,god1 one mediator also between ,god and man1 himself man1 ,christ ,jesus4 ,and in ,mark #ab3bi our ,lord ,jesus ,himself says3 ,hear ,o ,israel1 the ,lord our ,god1 the ,lord is one4 ,but we must bear in mind the character of the ,divine ,unity4 ,it is clearly revealed in the ,bible that in this ,divine ,unity1 in this one ,godhead1 there is a multiplicity of persons4 ,this comes out in a variety of ways4 #a4 ,first of all1 the ,hebrew word translated ,one in these various passages given denotes a compound unity1 not a simple unity4 7,cf4 #a ,cor4 #c3f-h2 #a ,cor4 #ab3ac2 ,john #ag3bb1 #bc2 ,gal4 #c3bh47 #b4 ,in the second place1 the ,old ,testament word most frequently used for ,god is a plural noun4 ,the ,hebrew grammarians and lexicographers tried to explain this by saying that it was the pluralis majestatis1 but the very simple explanation is that the ,hebrews1 in spite of their intense monotheism1 used a plural name for ,god because there is a plurality of persons in the one ,godhead4 #c4 ,more striking yet1 as a proof of the plurality of persons in the one ,godhead1 is the fact that ,god ,himself uses plural pronouns in speaking of ,himself4 ,for example1 in the first chapter of the ,bible1 ,gen4 #a3bf1 we read that ,god said3 ,let us make man in our image1 after our likeness4 ,and in ,gen4 #aa3g1 ,he is further recorded as saying3 ,go to1 let us go down1 and there confound their language1 that they cannot understand one another's speech4 ,in ,gen4 #c3bb we read3 ,and ,jehovah ,god said1 ,behold1 man is become as one of us to know good and evil4 ,and in that wonderful vision to which reference has already been made1 in which ,isaiah saw ,jehovah1 we read this statement of ,isaiah's in ,isa4 #f3h3 ,and ,i heard the voice of the ,lord1 saying1 ,whom shall ,i send1 and who will go for us8 ,then said ,i1 ,here am ,i2 send me4 #d4 ,another illustration of the plurality of persons in the one ,godhead in the ,old ,testament conception of ,god is found in ,zech4 #b3aj1 #aa2 where ,jehovah speaks of ,himself as sent by ,jehovah in these words3 ,sing and rejoice1 ,o daughter of ,zion2 for1 lo1 ,i come1 and ,i will dwell in the midst of thee1 saith ,jehovah4 7#aa7 ,and many nations shall join themselves to ,jehovah in that day1 and shall be my people and ,i will dwell in the midst of thee1 and thou shalt know that ,jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto thee4 ,here ,jehovah clearly speaks of himself as sent by ,jehovah1 thus clearly indicating two persons in the ,deity4 #e4 ,another indication of the plurality of persons in the ,godhead in the ,old ,testament conception of ,god is found in the fact that ,the ,angel of ,jehovah in the ,old ,testament is at the same time distinguished from and identified with ,jehovah4 #f4 ,this same thought of the plurality of persons in the one ,godhead is brought out in ,john #a3a1 where we reach the very climax of this thought4 ,here we are told in so many words3 ,in the beginning was the word and the word was with ,god and the word was ,god4 ,we shall see later1 when we come to study the ,deity of ,christ and the ,personality and ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit1 that the ,lord ,jesus and the ,holy ,spirit are clearly designated as divine beings and at the same time distinguished from one another1 and from ,god the ,father4 ,so it is clear that in the ,christian conception of ,god while there is but one ,god there is a multiplicity of persons in the one ,godhead4 ,in these two sermons on ,the ,christian ,conception of ,god we have very inadequately stated that conception4 ,this conception of ,god runs through the whole ,bible from the first chapter of the book of ,genesis to the last chapter of ,revelation1 and this is one of the many marvellous illustrations of the divine unity of the ,book4 ,how wonderful is that ,book1 in that there is this unity of thought on this very profound doctrine pervading the whole book6 ,it is a clear indication that the ,bible is the ,word of ,god4 ,there is in the ,bible a profounder philosophy than is found in any human philosophy1 ancient or modern1 and the only way to account for it is that ,god ,himself is the author of this incomparable philosophy4 ,what a wondrous ,god we have6 ,how we ought to meditate upon ,his person6 ,with what awe and at the same time with what delight we should come into ,his presence and bow before ,him in adoring contemplation of the wonder and beauty and majesty and glory of ,his being6 ,,iv ,,the ,,deity ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,now while the ,pharisees were gathered together1 ,jesus asked them a question1 saying1 ,what think ye of the ,christ8 whose son is ,he8--,matt4 #bb3da1 #db4 ,the question that our ,lord ,jesus here puts to the ,pharisees is the most fundamental question concerning ,christian thought and faith that can be put to anybody in any age4 ,jesus ,christ ,himself is the centre of ,christianity1 so the most fundamental questions of faith are those that concern the person of ,christ4 ,if a man really holds right views concerning the person of ,jesus ,christ he will sooner or later get right views on every other question4 ,if he holds a wrong view concerning the person of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 he is pretty sure to go wrong on everything else sooner or later4 ,what think ye of ,christ8 ,that is the great central question1 that is the vital question4 ,and the most fundamental question concerning the person of ,christ is1 is ,jesus ,christ really ,god8 ,not merely is ,he ,divine1 but is ,he actually ,god8 ,when ,i was a boy1 to say you believed in the ,divinity of ,christ1 meant that you believed in the real ,deity of ,christ1 that you believed that ,jesus was actually a ,divine person1 that ,he was ,god4 ,it no longer means that4 ,the ,devil is wise1 shrewd1 subtle1 and he knows that the most effectual way to instil error into the minds of the inexpert and unwary is to use old and precious words and put a new meaning into them4 ,so when his messengers masquerading as ministers of righteousness seek to lead1 if possible1 the elect astray1 they use the old precious words but with an entirely new and entirely different and entirely false meaning4 ,they talk about the ,divinity of ,christ1 but they do not mean at all by it what intelligent ,christians in former days meant by it4 ,just so they talk of the atonement1 but they do not mean at all by the atonement the substitutionary death of ,jesus ,christ in our place1 by which eternal life is secured for us4 ,and oftentimes when they talk about ,christ they do not mean at all our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 the actual historic ,jesus of the four gospels1 they mean an ideal ,christ1 or a ,christ principle4 ,so our subject this morning is not the ,divinity of ,christ1 but the ,deity of ,christ1 and our question is not is ,jesus ,christ ,divine1 but is ,jesus ,christ ,god8 ,was that person who was born at ,bethlehem nineteen hundred and twenty-one years ago1 and who lived thirty-three or thirty-four years here upon earth as recorded in the four gospels of ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke and ,john1 who was crucified on ,calvary's cross1 who rose from the dead the third day1 and was exalted from earth to heaven1 to the right hand of the ,father1 was ,he ,god manifested in the flesh1 was ,he ,god embodied in a human being8 ,was ,he and is ,he a being worthy of our absolute faith1 and supreme love1 and our unhesitating obedience1 and our whole-hearted worship1 just as ,god the ,father is worthy of our absolute faith and supreme love and unhesitating obedience and our whole-hearted worship8 ,should all men honour ,jesus ,christ even as they honour ,god the ,father 7,john #e3bc78 ,not merely is ,he an example that we can wisely follow1 or a ,master whom we can wisely serve1 but is ,he a ,god ,whom we can rightly worship8 ,i presume that most of us do believe that ,he was ,god manifested in the flesh1 and that ,he is ,god to-day at the right hand of the ,father1 but why do you believe so8 ,are you so intelligent in your faith1 and therefore so well grounded in your faith1 that no glib talker or reasoner1 no ,unitarian or ,russellite or ,christian ,scientist or ,theosophist1 or other errorist can confuse you and upset you and lead you astray8 ,it is important that we be thoroughly sound in our faith at this point1 and thoroughly well-informed1 wherever else we may be in ignorance or error1 for we are distinctly told in ,john #bj3ca that ,these are written1 that ye may believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god2 and that believing1 ye may have life in ,his name4 ,it is evident from these words of the inspired ,apostle ,john that this question is not merely a matter of theoretical opinion1 that it is a matter that concerns our salvation4 ,it is to confirm and instruct you in your blessed faith1 your saving faith in ,jesus ,christ as a ,divine person1 that ,i speak this morning4 ,when ,i studied the subject of the ,divinity of ,christ in the theological seminary ,i got the impression that there were a few proof-texts in the ,bible that conclusively proved that ,he was ,divine4 ,years later ,i found that there were not merely a few proof-texts that proved this1 but that the ,bible in many ways and in countless passages clearly taught that ,jesus ,christ was ,god manifest in the flesh4 ,indeed ,i found that the ,doctrine of the ,deity of ,jesus ,christ formed the very warp and woof of the ,bible4 ,i4 ,,divine ,,names ,the first line of proof of the absolute ,deity of our ,lord ,jesus is that many names and titles clearly implying ,deity are used of ,jesus ,christ in the ,bible1 some of them over and over again1 the total number of passages reaching far into the hundreds4 ,of course1 ,i can give you only a few illustrations4 ,turn with me first of all to ,rev4 #a3ag1 ,and when ,i saw him1 ,i fell at his feet as one dead4 ,and he laid his right hand upon me saying1 ,fear not2 ,i am the first and the last4 ,the context shows clearly that our ,lord ,jesus was the speaker1 and here our ,lord ,jesus distinctly calls ,himself the ,first and the ,last4 ,now this beyond a question is a ,divine name1 for in ,isa4 #dd3f we read1 ,thus sayeth ,jehovah1 the king of ,israel1 and his redeemer1 ,jehovah of hosts3 ,i am the first1 and ,i am the last2 and besides me there is no ,god4 ,in ,rev4 #bb3ab1 #ac1 our ,lord ,jesus says that ,he is the ,alpha and ,omega4 ,his words are1 ,behold1 ,i come quickly2 and my reward is with me1 to render to each man according as his work is4 ,i am ,alpha and ,omega1 the first and the last1 the beginning and the end4 ,now in this same book in the first chapter and the eighth verse the ,lord ,god declares that ,he is the ,alpha and the ,omega4 ,his words are1 ,i am the ,alpha1 and the ,omega1 saith the ,lord ,god1 which is and which was and which is to come1 the ,almighty4 ,in #a ,cor4 #b3h1 the ,apostle ,paul speaks of our crucified ,lord ,jesus as the ,lord of glory4 ,his exact words are1 ,which none of the princes of this world knew3 for had they known it1 they would not have crucified the ,lord of glory4 ,there can be no question that the ,lord of glory is ,jehovah ,god1 for we read in ,ps4 #bd3h-aj1 ,who is this king of glory8 ,jehovah strong and mighty1 ,jehovah mighty in battle4 ,lift up your heads1 ,o ye gates2 yea lift them up1 ye everlasting doors1 and the king of glory will come in4 ,who is the king of glory8 ,jehovah of hosts4 ,he is the king of glory4 ,and we are told in the passage already referred to that our crucified ,lord ,jesus was the ,king of ,glory1 therefore ,he must be ,jehovah4 ,in ,john #bj3bh ,thomas addressed the ,lord ,jesus as his ,lord and his ,god1 ,and ,thomas answered and said unto him1 ,my ,lord and my ,god4 ,unitarians have endeavoured to get around the force of this utterance of ,thomas by saying that ,thomas was excited and that he was not addressing the ,lord ,jesus1 but was saying my ,lord and my ,god as an ejaculation of astonishment1 just in the way that profane people sometimes use these exclamations to-day1 but this interpretation is impossible1 and shows to what desperate straits the ,unitarians are driven2 for ,jesus ,himself commended ,thomas for seeing it and saying it4 ,our ,lord ,jesus' words immediately following those of ,thomas are1 ,because thou hast seen me1 thou hast believed3 blessed are they that have not seen1 and yet have believed 7,john #bj3bi74 ,in the correct translation of ,titus #b3ac1 the translation given in the ,english revision1 not in the ,american ,standard ,revision1 our ,lord ,jesus is spoken of as1 our great ,god and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,in ,rom4 #i3e1 ,paul tells us that ,christ is over all1 ,god blessed forever4 ,the ,unitarians have made desperate efforts to overcome the force of these words1 but the only fair translation and interpretation of the words that ,paul wrote in ,greek are the translation and interpretation found in both our ,authorised and ,revised ,versions4 ,there can be no honest doubt to one who goes to the ,bible to find out what it actually teaches1 and not to read his own thought into it1 that ,jesus is spoken of by various names and titles that beyond a question imply ,deity1 and that ,he in so many words is called ,god4 ,in ,heb4 #a3h it is said in so many words1 of the ,son1 ,but unto the ,son he saith1 thy throne1 ,o ,god1 is for ever and ever2 a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom4 ,if we should go no further it is evidently the clear and often repeated teaching of the ,bible that ,jesus ,christ was really ,god4 ,,ii4 ,,divine ,,attributes ,but there is a second line of proof that ,jesus ,christ was ,god1 a proof equally convincing1 and that is1 all the five distinctively ,divine attributes are ascribed to ,jesus ,christ1 and all the fulness of the ,godhead is said to dwell in ,him4 ,there are five distinctively ,divine attributes1 that is five attributes that ,god alone possesses4 ,these are ,omnipotence1 ,omniscience1 ,omnipresence1 ,eternity1 and ,immutability4 ,each one of these distinctively ,divine attributes are ascribed to ,jesus ,christ4 ,first of all1 omnipotence is ascribed to ,jesus ,christ4 ,not only are we taught that ,jesus had power over disease and death and winds and sea and demons1 that they were all subject to ,his word1 and that ,he is far above all principality1 and power1 and might1 and dominion1 and every name that is named1 not only in this world but also in the world to come 7,eph4 #a3bj-bc71 but in ,heb4 #a3c it is said in so many words that ,he ,upholds all things by the word of his power4 ,omniscience is also ascribed to ,him4 ,we are taught in the ,bible that ,jesus knew men's lives1 even their secret history 7,john #d3af1 #ai71 that ,he knew the secret thoughts of men1 knew all men1 knew what was in man 7,mark #b3h2 ,luke #e3bb2 ,john #b3bd1 #be7 which knowledge we are distinctly told in #b ,chron4 #f3cj and ,jer4 #ag3i1 #aj1 ,god only possesses1 but we are told in so many words in ,john #af3cj that ,jesus knew all things1 and in ,col4 #b3c we are told that in ,him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge4 ,omnipresence is also ascribed to ,him4 ,we are told in ,matt4 #ah3bj that where two or three are gathered together in ,his name1 that ,he is in the midst of them1 and in ,matt4 #bh3bj that wherever ,his obedient disciples should go ,he would be with them1 even unto the end of the age1 and in ,john #ad3bj and #b ,cor4 #ac3e we are told that ,he dwells in each believer1 in all the millions of believers scattered over the earth4 ,in ,eph4 #a3bc we are told in so many words that ,he filleth all in all4 ,eternity is also ascribed to ,him4 ,we are told in ,john #a3a that in the beginning was the ,word1 and the ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was ,god4 ,in ,john #h3eg ,jesus ,himself said1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 before ,abraham was1 ,i am4 ,note that the ,lord ,jesus did not merely say that before ,abraham was ,i was1 but that before ,abraham was1 ,i ,,am1 thus declaring ,himself to be the eternal ,i ,,am4 ,even in the ,old ,testament we have a declaration of the eternity of the ,christ who was to be born in ,bethlehem4 ,in ,micah #e3b we read1 ,but thou1 ,bethlehem ,ephratah1 though thou be little among the thousands of ,judah1 yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in ,israel2 whose goings forth have been from of old1 from everlasting4 ,and in ,isa4 #i3f we are told of the child that is to be born1 ,for unto us a child is born1 unto us a ,son is given2 and the government shall be upon his shoulder2 and his name shall be called ,wonderful1 ,counsellor1 the ,mighty ,god1 the ,everlasting ,father1 the ,prince of ,peace4 ,and in ,heb4 #ac3h we are told that ,jesus ,christ is the same yesterday1 and to-day1 and for ever4 ,his immutability is also taught in the passage just quoted from ,hebrews1 and in the first chapter of the same book1 the twelfth verse we are told that while even the heavens change1 the ,lord ,jesus does not change4 ,the exact words are1 ,they shall perish1 but thou remainest3 ,they all shall wax old as doth a garment2 and as a mantle shalt thou roll them up1 as a garment1 and they shall be changed3 but thou art the same4 ,and thy years shall not fail4 ,so we see that each one of the five distinctly ,divine attributes were ascribed to our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,and in ,col4 #b3i we are told in so many words1 ,in him dwelleth all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily 7i4e41 in a bodily form74 ,here again we might rest our case1 for what has been said under this head1 even if taken alone1 clearly proves the absolute ,deity of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,it shows that ,he possessed every perfection of nature and character that ,god the ,father possesses4 ,,iii4 ,,divine ,,offices ,but we do not need to rest the case here4 ,there is a third unanswerable line of proof that ,jesus ,christ is ,god1 namely1 all the distinctively ,divine offices are predicated of ,jesus ,christ4 ,there are seven distinctively ,divine offices4 ,that is to say1 there are seven things that ,god alone can do1 and each one of these seven distinctively ,divine offices are ascribed to ,jesus ,christ4 ,the seven distinctively ,divine offices are3 ,creation1 ,preservation1 ,forgiveness of ,sin1 the ,raising of the ,dead1 the ,transformation of ,bodies1 ,judgment1 and the ,bestowal of ,eternal ,life1 and each of these is ascribed to ,jesus ,christ4 ,creation is ascribed to ,him4 ,in ,heb4 #a3aj these words are spoken to our ,lord3 ,and thou1 ,lord1 in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth2 and the heavens are the works of thy hands4 ,the context clearly shows that the ,lord addressed is the ,lord ,jesus4 ,in ,john #a3c we are told that ,all things were made through him2 and without him was not anything made that was made4 ,preservation of the universe and of everything is also ascribed to ,him in ,heb4 #a3c where it is said of the ,lord ,jesus1 ,who being the brightness of his glory1 and the express image of his 7i4e41 ,god's7 substance and upholding all things by the word of his power1 when he had by himself purged our sins1 sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high4 ,the forgiveness of sin is ascribed to ,him4 ,he ,himself says in ,mark #b3e-aj when ,his power to forgive sins was questioned1 because that was recognised as a ,divine power1 ,that ye may know that the ,son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins4 ,the future raising of the dead is distinctly ascribed to ,him in ,john #f3ci1 #dd1 ,and this is the ,father's will which hath sent me1 that of all which ,he hath given me ,i should lose nothing1 but should raise it up at the last day4 ,no man can come to me1 except the ,father which hath sent me draw him3 and ,i will raise him up at the last day4 ,the transformation of our bodies is ascribed to ,him in ,phil4 #c3ba1 ,r4 ,v4 ,in #b ,tim4 #d3a judgment is ascribed to ,him3 we are told that ,he shall judge the quick and the dead4 ,jesus ,himself declared that ,he would be the judge of all mankind1 and emphasised the fact of the ,divine character of that office4 ,in ,john #e3bb1 #bc ,he said1 ,for neither doth the ,father judge any man1 but ,he hath given all judgment unto the ,son1 that all men may honour the ,son1 even as they honour the ,father4 ,the bestowal of eternal life is ascribed to ,him time and time again4 ,in ,john #aj3bh ,he ,himself says1 ,and ,i give unto them eternal life1 and they shall never perish1 neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand4 ,and in ,john #ag3a1 #b1 ,he says1 ,father1 the hour is come2 glorify thy ,son1 that the ,son may glorify thee3 even as thou gavest ,him authority over all flesh1 that to all whom thou hast given him1 ,he should give eternal life4 ,here then we have the seven distinctively ,divine offices all predicated of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this alone would prove that ,he is ,god1 and we might rest the case here1 but there are still other proofs of ,his absolute ,deity4 ,,iv4 ,,statements ,,which ,,in ,,the ,,old ,,testament ,,are ,,made ,,distinctly ,,of ,,jehovah1 ,,god1 ,,taken ,,in ,,the ,,new ,,testament ,,to ,,refer ,,to ,,jesus ,,christ ,the fourth line of proof of the absolute ,deity of ,jesus ,christ is found in the fact that over and over again statements which in the ,old ,testament are made distinctly of ,jehovah1 ,god1 are taken in the ,new ,testament to refer to ,jesus ,christ4 ,we have not time to illustrate this at length1 but will give but one illustration where many might be given4 ,in ,jer4 #aa3bj the prophet says1 ,but1 ,o ,lord of hosts1 that judgest righteously1 that triest the reins and the heart1 let me see thy vengeance on them3 for unto thee have ,i revealed my cause4 ,here the prophet distinctly says that it is ,jehovah of ,hosts who judgest and triest the reins and the heart4 ,and in the #agth chapter and the tenth verse ,jeremiah represents ,jehovah ,himself as saying the same thing in these words1 ,i1 ,jehovah1 search the heart1 ,i try the reins1 even to give every man according to his ways1 according to the fruit of his doings4 ,but in the ,new ,testament in ,rev4 #b3bc the ,lord ,jesus says1 ,i am he which searcheth the reins and the hearts3 and ,i will give unto every one of you according to your works4 ,we are distinctly told in the context that it is ,the ,son of ,god who is speaking here4 ,so ,jesus claims for ,himself in the ,n4 ,t4 what ,jehovah in the ,o4 ,t4 says is true of ,himself and of ,himself alone1 and in very many other instances statements which in the ,old ,testament are made distinctly of ,jehovah1 ,god1 are taken in the ,n4 ,t4 to refer to ,jesus ,christ4 ,this is to say1 in ,new ,testament thought and doctrine ,jesus ,christ occupies the place that ,jehovah occupies in ,old ,testament thought and doctrine4 ,v4 ,,the ,,way ,,in ,,which ,,the ,,name ,,of ,,god ,,the ,,father ,,and ,,jesus ,,christ ,,the ,,son ,,are ,,coupled ,,together ,the fifth line of proof of the absolute ,deity of our ,lord is found in the way in which the name of ,jesus ,christ is coupled with that of ,god the ,father4 ,in numerous passages ,his name is coupled with the name of ,god the ,father in a way in which it would be impossible to couple the name of any finite being with that of the ,deity4 ,we have time for but a few of the many illustrations that might be given4 ,a striking instance is in the words of our ,lord ,himself in ,john #ad3bc where we read1 ,jesus answered and said unto him1 ,if a man love me1 he will keep my words3 and my ,father will love him1 and he will come unto him1 and make our abode with him4 ,here our ,lord ,jesus does not hesitate to couple ,himself with the ,father in such a way as to say we1 i4e41 ,god the ,father and ,i will come and make our abode with him4 ,in ,john #ad3a ,he says1 ,let not your heart be troubled3 ,believe in ,god1 believe also in me4 ,if ,jesus ,christ was not ,god this is shocking blasphemy4 ,there is absolutely no middle ground between admitting the ,deity of ,jesus ,christ and charging ,christ with the most daring and appalling blasphemy of which any man in all history was ever guilty4 ,,vi4 ,,divine ,,worship ,,to ,,be ,,given ,,to ,,jesus ,,christ ,there is a sixth line of proof of the absolute ,deity of our ,lord ,jesus4 ,those already given have been decisive1 each one of the five has been decisive1 but this1 if possible1 is the most decisive of them all1 and that is1 that we are taught in so many words that ,jesus ,christ should be worshipped as ,god1 both by angels and men4 ,in numerous places in the gospels we see ,jesus ,christ accepting without hesitation a worship which good men and angels declined with fear1 and which ,he ,himself taught should be rendered only to ,god 7,matt4 #bh3i2 ,luke #bd3eb2 ,mark #ad3cc2 cf4 ,acts #aj3be1 #bf2 ,rev4 #bb3h1 #i1 ,r4 ,v42 ,matt4 #d3i1 #aj74 ,a curious and very misleading comment is made in the margin of the ,american ,standard ,revision upon the meaning of the word translated worship in these passages1 and that is that the ,greek word translated worship denotes an act of reverence1 whether paid to a creature or to the ,creator4 ,now this is true1 but it is utterly misleading2 for while this word is used to denote an act of reverence paid to a creature by idolators1 our ,lord ,jesus ,himself distinctly says1 using exactly the same ,greek word1 ,thou shalt worship the ,lord thy ,god1 and ,him only shalt thou serve1 and on the other hand ,he says in ,john #e3bc that ,all men should honour the ,son even as they honour the ,father4 ,and in ,rev4 #e3h1 #i1 #ab1 #ac the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders are represented as falling down before the ,lamb and offering worship to ,him just as worship is offered to ,him that sitteth upon the throne1 i4e41 ,god the ,father4 ,in ,heb4 #a3f we are told in so many words1 ,and again1 when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world1 he saith1 and let all the angels of ,god worship him4 ,one night in the inquiry room in ,chicago ,i stepped up to an intelligent looking man at the back of the room and said to him1 ,are you a ,christian8 ,he replied1 ,i do not suppose you would consider me a ,christian4 ,i said1 ,why not8 ,he said1 ,i am a ,unitarian4 ,i said1 ,what you mean then is that you do not think that ,jesus ,christ is a person who should be worshipped4 ,he replied1 ,that is exactly what ,i think1 and added1 the ,bible nowhere says we ought to worship ,him4 ,i said1 ,who told you that8 ,he replied1 ,my pastor1 mentioning a prominent ,unitarian minister in the ,city of ,boston4 ,i said1 ,let me show you something1 and ,i opened my ,bible to ,heb4 #a3f and read1 ,and again1 when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world1 he saith1 and let all the angels of ,god worship him1 and he said1 ,does it say that8 ,i handed him the ,bible and said1 ,read it for yourself1 and he read it and said1 ,i did not know that was in the ,bible4 ,i said1 ,well it is there1 isn't it8 ,yes it is there4 ,language could not make it plainer4 ,the ,bible clearly teaches that ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god1 is to be worshipped as ,god by angels and men1 even as ,god the ,father is worshipped4 ,,vii4 ,,incidental ,,proofs ,,of ,,the ,,deity ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,the six lines of proof of the ,deity of ,jesus ,christ which ,i have given you leave no possibility of doubting that ,jesus ,christ is ,god1 that ,jesus of ,nazareth is ,god manifest in a human person1 that ,he is a being to be worshipped1 even as ,god the ,father is worshipped2 but there are also incidental proofs of ,his absolute ,deity which1 if possible1 are in some ways even more convincing than the direct assertions of ,his ,deity4 #a4 ,our ,lord ,jesus says in ,matt4 #aa3bh1 ,come unto me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest4 ,now any one that makes a promise like that must either be ,god1 or a lunatic1 or an impostor4 ,no one can give rest to all who labour and are heavy laden who come to him unless he is ,god1 and yet ,jesus ,christ offers to do it4 ,if ,he offers to do it and fails to do it when men come to ,him1 then ,he is either a lunatic or an impostor4 ,if ,he actually does it1 then beyond a question ,he is ,god4 ,and thousands can testify that ,he really does it4 ,thousands and tens of thousands who have laboured and were heavy laden and crushed1 and for whom there was no help in man1 have come to ,jesus ,christ and ,he actually has given them rest4 ,surely then ,he is not merely a great man1 ,he is ,god4 #b4 ,again in ,john #ad3a ,jesus ,christ demands that we put the same faith in ,him that we put in ,god the ,father1 and promises that in such faith we will find a cure for all trouble and anxiety of heart4 ,his words are1 ,let not your heart be troubled2 believe in ,god1 believe also in me4 ,it is clear that ,he demands that the same absolute faith be put in ,himself that is to be put in ,god ,almighty4 ,now in ,jer4 #ag3e1 scripture with which our ,lord ,jesus was perfectly familiar1 we read ,thus saith ,jehovah3 ,cursed is the man that trusteth in man1 and yet with this clear curse pronounced upon all who trust in man1 ,jesus ,christ demands that we put trust in ,him just as we put trust in ,god4 ,it is the strongest possible assertion of ,deity on ,his part4 ,no one but ,god has a right to make such a demand1 and ,jesus ,christ1 when ,he makes this demand1 must either be ,god or an impostor1 but thousands and tens of thousands have found that when they did believe in ,him just as they believe in ,god1 their hearts were delivered from trouble no matter what their bereavement or circumstances might be4 #c4 ,again1 the ,lord ,jesus demanded supreme and absolute love for ,himself4 ,it is clear as day that no one but ,god has a right to demand such a love1 but there can be no question that ,jesus did demand it4 ,in ,matt4 #aj3cg ,he said to ,his disciples1 ,he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me2 and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me4 ,and in ,luke #ad3bf1 #cc1 ,he says1 ,if any man cometh unto me1 and hateth not his own father1 and mother1 and wife1 and children1 and brethren1 and sisters1 yea1 and his own life also1 he cannot be my disciple4 4 4 4 ,so therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath1 he cannot be my disciple4 ,there can be no question that this is a demand on ,jesus' part of supreme and absolute love to ,himself1 a love that puts even the dearest relations of life in an entirely secondary place4 ,no one but ,god has a right to make any such demand1 but our ,lord ,jesus made it1 and1 therefore1 ,he must be ,god4 #d4 ,in ,john #aj3cj the ,lord ,jesus claimed absolute equality with the ,father4 ,he said1 ,i and the ,father are one4 #e4 ,in ,john #ad3i our ,lord ,jesus went so far as to say1 ,he that hath seen me1 hath seen the ,father4 ,he claims here to be so absolutely ,god that to see ,him is to see the ,father ,who dwelleth in ,him4 #f4 ,in ,john #ag3c ,he says1 ,and this is eternal life1 to know thee1 the only true ,god1 and him whom thou didst send1 even ,jesus ,christ4 ,in other words1 he claims that the knowledge of ,himself is as essential a part of eternal life as knowledge of ,god the ,father4 ,conclusion3 ,there is no room left to doubt the absolute ,deity of ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is a glorious truth4 ,the ,saviour in whom we believe is ,god1 a ,saviour for whom nothing is too hard1 a ,saviour who can save from the uttermost and save to the uttermost4 ,oh1 how we should rejoice that we have no merely human ,saviour1 but a ,saviour that is absolutely ,god4 ,on the other hand1 how black is the guilt of rejecting such a ,saviour as this6 ,whoever refuses to accept ,jesus as his ,divine ,saviour and ,lord is guilty of the enormous sin of rejecting a ,saviour ,who is ,god4 ,many a man thinks he is good because he never stole1 or committed murder1 or cheated4 ,of what great sin am ,i guilty8 he complacently asks4 ,have you ever accepted ,jesus ,christ8 ,no4 ,well1 then you are guilty of the awful and damning sin of rejecting a ,saviour ,who is ,god4 ,but1 you answer1 ,i do not believe that ,he is ,god4 ,that does not change the fact nor lessen your guilt4 ,questioning a fact or denying a fact never changes it1 regardless of what ,mary ,baker ,eddy may say to the contrary4 ,suppose a man had a wife who was one of the noblest1 purest1 truest women that ever lived1 would her husband's questioning her purity and nobility change the fact8 ,it would not4 ,it would simply make that husband guilty of awful slander1 it would simply prove that man to be an outrageous scoundrel4 ,so denying the ,deity of ,jesus ,christ1 does not make his ,deity any less a fact1 but it does make the denier of ,his ,deity guilty of awful1 incredible1 blasphemous slander4 ,it does prove you who deny ,his ,deity to be----4 ,i leave your own conscience to finish the sentence4 ,v ,,jesus ,,christ ,a ,,real ,,man ,and the word became flesh1 and dwelt among us 7and we beheld his glory1 glory as of the only begotten from the ,father71 full of grace and truth4--,john #a3ad4 ,who1 existing in the form of ,god1 counted not the being on an equality with ,god a thing to be grasped1 but emptied himself1 taking the form of a servant1 being made in the likeness of man2 and being found in fashion as man1 he emptied himself1 becoming obedient even unto death1 yea the death of the cross4--,phil4 #b3f-h4 ,there is one ,god1 one mediator also between ,god and men1 himself man1 ,christ ,jesus4--#a ,tim4 #b3e4 ,our subject in this chapter is ,jesus ,christ a ,real ,man4 ,i have three texts1 and the substance of all that ,i shall say is these three texts4 ,the first text is ,john #a3ad3 ,and the word became flesh1 and dwelt among us 7and we beheld his glory1 glory as of the only begotten from the ,father71 full of grace and truth4 ,the second text is ,phil4 #b3f-h3 ,who1 existing in the form of ,god1 counted not the being on an equality with ,god a thing to be grasped1 but emptied himself1 taking the form of a servant1 being made in the likeness of man2 and being found in fashion as a man1 he emptied himself1 becoming obedient even unto death1 yea the death of the cross4 ,and the third text is #a ,tim4 #b3e3 ,there is one ,god1 one mediator also between ,god and man1 himself man1 ,christ ,jesus4 ,we saw in the preceding chapter that ,jesus ,christ was ,god1 that in ,him dwelt all the fullness of the ,godhead bodily1 that ,he possessed all the distinctively divine attributes1 that ,he exercised all the distinctively divine functions1 that ,he occupied the position in ,new ,testament thought that ,jehovah occupied in ,old ,testament thought1 that ,he was a being worthy of our absolute faith1 our supreme love1 our unhesitating obedience1 and our whole-hearted worship1 that ,he was ,god and is ,god4 ,but in the passages which we have taken for our texts to-day1 we are told that this ,divine ,one1 who had existed from all eternity with ,god1 the ,father1 and who was ,god1 became a man4 ,in becoming a man1 ,he did not cease to be ,god2 but the ,word1 the ,eternal ,word1 which was with ,god and was ,god1 took human nature upon ,himself4 ,while ,he was very ,god of very ,god1 ,he was real man1 as truly and completely a man as any man who ever walked on this earth4 ,the doctrine of the real humanity of ,christ is as essential a part of the ,christian faith as the doctrine of ,his real ,deity4 ,there is one very large class of people who do not see the real ,deity of ,jesus ,christ4 ,they are in fundamental error4 ,there is another large class of people who see only ,his ,deity1 and who do not see the reality of ,his manhood4 ,they also are in error4 ,a doctrine of a ,saviour who is only man is false doctrine2 and a doctrine of a ,saviour who is only ,god is equally false doctrine4 ,the doctrine of the ,bible is that1 ,one ,who from all eternity was ,god in the person of ,jesus of ,nazareth became man4 ,there are many passages in the ,bible which set forth the ,deity of our ,lord ,jesus in a way that is unmistakable and inescapable4 ,there are many other passages in the ,bible which set forth the complete humanity of our ,lord ,jesus in a way which is equally unmistakable and inescapable4 ,it is with the doctrine of ,his real humanity1 i4e41 that ,he was a real man1 that we are concerned this morning4 ,i4 ,,the ,,human ,,parentage ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,first of all1 the ,bible teaches us that ,jesus ,christ had a human parentage4 ,we read in ,luke #b3g1 ,and she 7i4e41 ,mary7 brought forth her first born ,son2 and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes1 and laid him in a manger1 because there was no room for them in the inn4 ,here we are told that our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 though supernaturally conceived1 was ,mary's ,son4 ,mary was as truly ,his mother as ,god was ,his ,father4 ,he had a human parentage as truly as ,he had a divine parentage4 ,in the first chapter of this same ,gospel of ,luke1 in the #ceth verse1 we read1 ,and the angel answered and said unto her 7i4e41 ,mary71 the ,holy ,spirit shall come upon thee1 and the power of the ,most ,high shall overshadow thee3 wherefore also the holy thing1 which is begotten shall be called the ,son of ,god4 ,he was called the ,son of ,god because ,he was begotten directly by the power of the ,holy ,spirit2 but the ,holy ,spirit came upon ,mary and she became the mother of this ,one who was to be called the ,son of ,god4 ,not only was ,he descended from ,mary and in that way of human parentage1 we are clearly told also in ,rom4 #a3c that ,god's ,son ,was born of the seed of ,david according to the flesh4 ,and in ,acts #b3cj we are told that ,he was ,the fruit of his 7i4e41 ,david's7 loins1 according to the flesh4 ,and in ,hebrews #g3ad1 we are told that ,our ,lord sprang out of ,judah4 ,while we are told in ,gal4 #d3d that ,when the fulness of the time came1 ,god sent forth ,his ,son1 we are also told with equal plainness in the same verse that this ,son of ,god was ,born of a woman4 ,the human parentage of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ was just as real and just as essential a part of ,his personality as ,his divine parentage4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,human ,,physical ,,nature ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,but not only did ,jesus ,christ have a human parentage1 ,he had a human physical nature1 a human body4 ,this comes out in the first of our texts1 ,the ,word ,became ,flesh1 and in ,hebrews #b3ad we are taught ,since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood1 he also 7i4e41 our ,lord ,jesus also7 himself in like manner partook of the same2 that through death he might bring to naught him that had the power of death1 that is1 the devil4 ,words could not make it plainer that our ,lord ,jesus had a real human body1 a real human physical nature4 ,indeed1 the ,apostle ,john teaches us in #a ,john #d3b1 #c1 that not to believe in the actuality of ,his human body1 is a mark of the ,anti-,christ4 ,he says1 ,hereby know ye the ,spirit of ,god3 every spirit that confesseth that ,jesus ,christ is come in the flesh is of ,god3 and every spirit that confesseth not ,jesus is not of ,god3 and this is the spirit of the anti-,christ1 whereof ye have heard that it cometh2 and now it is in the world already4 ,there were those in ,john's day who denied the reality of ,jesus' human nature1 who asserted that ,his body was only a seeming or apparent body1 that it was an illusion1 or as the ,christian ,scientists now put it1 mortal thought1 and ,john1 speaking in the wisdom and power of the ,holy ,ghost1 asserts that this doctrine is a mark of the ,anti-,christ4 ,it is the one supreme mark to-day1 that ,christian ,science is of the ,anti-,christ4 ,jesus ,christ not only had a human body during ,his life here upon earth1 but after ,his resurrection ,he still had a human body4 ,the ,millennial ,dawnists 7,pastor-,russellites7 teach us that this is not so2 that1 whereas before ,his incarnation ,he was wholly a spiritual being1 that at ,his incarnation ,he became wholly a human being1 and that since ,his death and resurrection ,he is wholly a divine being3 all of which is not ,scriptural1 and therefore is not true4 ,he himself said after ,his resurrection1 ,see my hands and my feet1 that it is ,i myself3 handle me1 and see2 for a spirit hath not flesh and bones1 as ye behold me have4 ,and when he said this1 he showed them his hands and his feet 7,luke #bd3ci1 #dj74 ,and to ,thomas in ,john #bj3bg1 after ,thomas had doubted the reality of ,his resurrection1 ,he said1 ,reach hither thy finger1 and see my hands2 and reach hither thy hand1 and put it into my side3 and be not faithless but believing4 ,not only after ,his resurrection while still here on earth did ,he have a real human body1 but ,he still has a human body in the glory4 ,in that wonderful view into heaven that was given to ,stephen at the time he was stoned and killed we read in ,acts #g3ee1 #ef1 ,but he1 being full of the ,holy ,spirit1 looked up steadfastly into heaven1 and saw the glory of ,god1 and ,jesus standing on the right hand of ,god1 and said1 ,behold ,i see the heavens opened1 and the ,son of man standing on the right hand of ,god4 ,and when ,he comes again to take ,his rightful authority on this earth1 ,he shall come with a human body1 coming as the ,son of ,man4 ,he ,himself said to the ,high ,priest when ,he stood before him on trial1 in ,matt4 #bf3fd1 ,nevertheless ,i say unto you1 henceforth ye shall see the son of man standing at the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven4 ,in this utterance of our ,lord we have a declaration of ,his ,deity1 but an equally clear declaration that ,he was a real man1 and that ,he will come again as a man with a human1 though glorified body4 ,indeed1 we are told in ,phil4 #a3bj1 #ba that when ,he does thus come1 ,he is going to transform these our present human bodies1 the bodies of our present humiliation1 into the likeness of ,his own glorious body1 ,his glorified human body4 ,,iii4 ,,subject ,,to ,,human ,,limitations ,but the reality and completeness of our ,lord's human nature comes out not only in the fact that ,he had a human parentage and a human body3 we are also clearly taught that1 while as ,god he possessed all the attributes and exercised all the offices of ,deity1 as a man ,he was subject to human limitations4 #a4 ,he was subject to the physical limitations which are essential to humanity4 ,in ,john #d3f we read that ,jesus ,christ was weary4 ,the words are ,jesus1 therefore1 being wearied with his journey1 sat thus on the well3 and it was about the sixth hour4 ,but ,god is never weary4 ,we read explicitly in ,isa4 #dj3bh ,hast thou not known8 ,hast thou not heard8 ,the everlasting ,god1 ,jehovah1 the creator of the ends of the earth1 fainteth not1 neither is weary4 ,we are told in ,matt4 #h3bd that ,jesus ,christ slept4 ,but ,god never sleeps4 ,we read in ,ps4 #aba3d1 #e1 ,behold he that keepeth ,israel shall neither slumber nor sleep4 ,jehovah is thy keeper3 ,jehovah is thy shade upon thy right hand4 ,by comparison of these two verses1 we see distinctly that ,jehovah never sleeps4 ,yet ,jesus did sleep1 so while ,he was ,jehovah1 ,he was not ,jehovah only4 ,he was man as truly as ,he was ,god4 ,in ,matt4 #ba3ah we read that ,jesus ,christ hungered2 in ,john #ai3bh we read that ,jesus ,christ thirsted2 in ,luke #bb3dd we read that ,jesus ,christ suffered physical agony1 ,his agony was so great that ,he was on the point of dying with agony2 and in #a ,cor4 #ae3c we read that ,christ died1 that ,his death is an essential part of the ,gospel4 ,paul says in this passage1 ,for ,i delivered unto you first of all that which ,i received1 how that ,christ died for our sins according to the scriptures4 ,it was no merely apparent death1 it was a real death4 ,it was no illusion4 ,our salvation depends on the reality of ,his death4 ,christian ,science cuts the very heart out of the ,gospel4 ,we are oftentimes asked was it the human nature of ,jesus ,christ that died or was it the divine nature that died4 ,it was neither the one nor the other1 natures do not die1 a person dies4 ,it was ,jesus who died1 the ,person who was at once ,god and man4 ,we are told in so many words in #a ,cor4 #b3h1 that they ,crucified the ,lord of glory1 and we saw in the last chapter that the ,lord of ,glory is unquestionably a divine title4 ,it was the one ,person ,jesus who was at once human and divine1 who died upon the cross of ,calvary4 #b4 ,he was also1 as a man subject to intellectual and moral limitations4 ,we read in ,luke #b3eb1 ,jesus advanced in wisdom and stature and in favour with ,god and man4 ,as we are told here that ,he grew in wisdom1 ,he must have been more perfect in wisdom after ,he grew than ,he was before ,he grew1 and as ,he grew in favour with ,god and man1 ,he must have attained to a higher type of moral perfection when ,he grew than ,he had attained to before ,he grew4 ,while in the ,babe of ,bethlehem ,god was incarnate1 nevertheless ,he was a real babe and grew not only in stature1 but in wisdom and in favour with ,god and man4 ,as a man ,he was limited in knowledge1 ,he ,himself says in ,mark #ac3cb1 ,but of that day and that hour 7i4e41 the day and the hour of ,his own return7 knoweth no man2 no1 not the angels which are in heaven1 neither the ,son but the ,father4 ,of course1 ,his knowledge was self-limited3 to set an example for you and me to follow in ,his steps1 ,he voluntarily as man put away ,his knowledge of the time of ,his own return4 ,furthermore still1 we are definitely and explicitly taught in ,heb4 #d3ae that ,jesus ,christ was ,in all points tempted like as we are4 ,but in bearing this in mind as being clear and complete proof of the reality of ,his humanity1 not only physical but mental and moral1 we should also bear in mind what is stated in the same verse1 that ,he was tempted ,apart from ,sin1 i4e41 that there was not the slightest taint or tinge of sin in ,his temptation1 not one moment's yielding to it in thought or desire or act4 ,nevertheless1 ,he was tempted and overcame temptation in the same way that we may overcome it1 by the ,word of ,god and prayer4 ,he ,himself voluntarily placed ,himself under the essential moral limitations that man is under in order to redeem man4 #c4 ,he was also1 as a man1 subject to limitations in the way in which ,he obtained power and in which ,he exercised power4 ,jesus ,christ obtained the power for the ,divine work that ,he did while here upon earth1 not by ,his incarnate ,deity1 but by prayer4 ,we read in ,mark #a3ce1 ,and in the morning1 a great while before day1 he rose up and went out1 and departed unto a desert place1 and there prayed4 ,and we read also that before ,he raised ,lazarus from the dead1 called him forth from the tomb by ,his ,word1 that ,he lifted up ,his eyes to ,god and said1 ,father1 ,i thank thee that thou heardest me1 showing conclusively that the power by which ,he raised ,lazarus from the dead was not ,his inherent1 inborn1 ,divine power1 but was power obtained by prayer4 ,it is mentioned not less than twenty-five times that ,he prayed4 ,he obtained power for work and for moral victory as other men do1 by prayer4 ,he was subject to human conditions for obtaining what ,he desired4 ,he obtained power for the divine works and miracles which he wrought by the anointing of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,we read in ,acts #aj3ch1 that ,god anointed ,jesus of ,nazareth with the ,holy ,ghost and with power3 who went about doing good1 and healing all that were oppressed of the devil2 for ,god was with him4 ,and we are taught1 furthermore1 that ,he was subject during the days of ,his humiliation to limitations in the exercise of power4 ,he himself said just before ,his crucifixion and subsequent glorification1 in ,john #ad3ab1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 he that believeth on me1 the works that ,i do shall he do also2 and greater works than these shall he do2 for ,i go unto my ,father1 the evident meaning of which is1 that during the days of ,his flesh there was a limitation to ,his exercise of power1 but after ,his glorification1 when ,he was glorified with the ,father with the glory which ,he had with ,him since the world was1 there would be no limitations to the exercise of ,his power1 and therefore1 that we1 being united1 not to our ,lord ,jesus in ,his humiliation1 but in ,his exaltation and restoration to ,his divine glory1 will do greater works than he did during the days of ,his humiliation4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,human ,,relation ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,,to ,,god ,the completeness of the humanity of ,jesus ,christ comes out in still another matter1 and that is1 the relation that ,he bore to ,god as a man was the relation of a man1 so that ,god was ,his ,god4 ,he himself says to ,mary in ,john #bj3ag1 ,touch me not2 for ,i am not yet ascended unto the father3 but go unto my brethren1 and say to them1 ,i ascend unto my ,father and your ,father1 and my ,god and your ,god4 ,the evident meaning of this is that ,jesus ,christ's relation to ,god1 the ,father1 was the relation of man4 ,he speaks of ,god the ,father as ,my ,god4 ,though possessed of all the attributes and exercising all the functions of ,deity1 ,jesus ,christ the ,son was subordinate to the ,father4 ,this explains utterances of our ,lord which have puzzled many who believe in ,his ,deity1 such utterances1 for example1 as that in ,john #ad3bh1 where ,jesus says1 ,ye have heard how ,i said unto you1 ,i go away1 and come again unto you4 ,if ye loved me ye would rejoice1 because ,i said1 ,i go unto the ,father3 ,for my ,father is greater than ,i4 ,the question is often asked1 ,if ,jesus ,christ is ,god1 how could the ,father be greater than ,he8 ,the very simple answer to which is2 that ,he1 as the ,son1 was subordinate to the ,father1 equal to the ,father in the possession of all the distinctively ,divine attributes and exercising all the ,divine offices1 and as an object of our wholehearted worship1 but subordinate to the ,father in ,his office4 ,jesus ,christ's relation to the ,father is like the relation of the wife to the husband in this respect1 that the wife may be fully the equal of the husband1 but nevertheless1 the ,head of the ,woman is the ,man1 she is subordinate to the man1 just as we are told in the same verse 7#a ,cor4 #aa3ab7 ,the head of ,christ is ,god1 i4e41 ,jesus ,christ the ,son is subordinate to the ,father4 ,it is evident from what we have read from ,god's ,word1 that ,jesus ,christ in every respect was a true man1 a real man1 a complete man4 ,he was made ,in all things like unto his brethren 7cf4 ,heb4 #b3ag74 ,he was subject to all the physical1 mental and moral conditions of existence essential to human nature4 ,he was in every respect a real man4 ,he became so voluntarily in order to redeem men4 ,from all eternity ,he had existed in the form of ,god and could have remained in the form of ,god1 but if ,he had so remained1 we would have been lost4 ,therefore1 out of love to us1 the fallen race1 as we are taught in one of our texts 7,phil4 #b3e-h71 ,he ,counted not the being on an equality with ,god a thing to be grasped1 but emptied himself1 taking the form of a servant1 being made in the likeness of man2 and being found in fashion as a man1 he humbled himself1 becoming obedient even unto death1 yea1 the death of the cross4 ,oh1 wondrous love6 that out of love to us ,he should take our nature upon ,him1 turning ,his back upon the glory that had been ,his from all eternity and taking upon ,himself all the shame and suffering that was involved in our redemption1 and becoming one of us that ,he might die for us and redeem us6 ,oh1 how wondrous the ,grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that though ,he was rich yet for our sakes ,he became poor1 that we through his poverty might become rich4 7#b ,cor4 #h3i47 ,he partook of human nature that we might become partakers of the ,divine nature4 ,the philosophy of the divine and human natures of ,christ1 the philosophy of the ,new ,testament1 is a most wonderful philosophy1 the most wonderful philosophy the world ever heard1 and thank ,god it is a true philosophy4 ,but some one may ask1 ,how shall we reconcile the ,bible doctrine of the true ,deity of ,jesus ,christ with the ,bible doctrine of the real human nature of ,jesus ,christ1 the doctrine that ,he was real ,god with the doctrine that ,he was equally truly man8 ,the answer to this is very simple4 ,reconciling doctrines is not our main business4 ,our first business is to find out what the various passages in the ,bible mean1 taken in their natural1 grammatical interpretation4 ,then1 if we can reconcile them1 well and good2 if not1 we should still believe them both and leave the reconciliation of the two apparently conflicting doctrines to our increasing knowledge as we go on communing with ,god and studying ,his ,word4 ,it is an utterly foolish and vicious principle of ,biblical interpretation that we must interpret every passage of the ,bible so that we can readily reconcile it with every other passage4 ,it is this principle of interpretation that gives rise to a one-sided1 and therefore untrue1 theology4 ,one man1 for example1 takes the ,calvinistic passages in the ,bible and believes them and twists and distorts the other passages2 that teach the freedom of man1 to make them fit with those that teach the sovereignty of ,god1 and he becomes a one-sided ,calvinist4 ,another man sees only those passages that clearly teach man's power of self-determination and seeks to twist all that teach the sovereignty of ,god and the foreordaining wisdom and will of ,god to fit into his ideas1 and he becomes a one-sided ,arminian1 and so on through the whole gamut of doctrine4 ,it is utter foolishness1 to say nothing of presumption1 to thus handle the ,word of ,god deceitfully4 ,our business is to find out the plainly intended sense of a passage that we are studying1 as determined by the usage of words1 grammatical construction and context2 and when we have found out the plainly intended meaning1 believe it whether we can reconcile it with something else that we have found out and believe1 or not4 ,we should always remember that in many cases two truths1 both clearly true1 that at one time seemed utterly irreconcilable or flatly contradictory to one another1 are now1 with our increased knowledge seen to beautifully harmonise4 ,so we should have no difficulty in recognising the fact that truths that still seem to us to be contradictory1 do now perfectly harmonise in the infinite wisdom of ,god1 and will some day perfectly harmonise to our minds when we approach more nearly to ,god's omniscience4 ,the ,bible1 in the most fearless way1 puts the absolute ,deity of ,jesus ,christ in closest juxtaposition with the real manhood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,for example1 we read in ,matt4 #h3bd1 ,and behold1 there arose a great tempest in the sea1 insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves2 but ,he 7,jesus7 was asleep4 ,here we have a plain statement of the real manhood of our ,lord1 but two verses later1 in the #bfth verse1 we read1 ,and ,he saith unto them1 why are ye fearful1 ,o ye of little faith8 ,then ,he arose1 and rebuked the winds and the sea1 and there was a great calm4 ,here we have a clear shining forth of ,his ,deity1 even the winds and the waves subject to ,his word4 ,no wonder the disciples asked one another1 ,what manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him8 7,matt4 #h3bg74 ,the answer is plain3 a ,divine ,man4 ,again we read in ,luke #c3ba1 ,now it came to pass1 when all the people were baptised1 that ,jesus also having been baptised1 and praying1 4 4 4 ,here we see ,jesus in ,his humanity1 baptised and praying4 ,surely this is a man4 ,but in the remainder of the verse and in the next verse we read1 ,and the heaven was opened1 and the ,holy ,spirit descended in a bodily form1 as a dove1 upon him1 and a voice came out of heaven1 ,thou art my beloved ,son2 in thee ,i am well pleased4 ,here ,god with an audible voice declares ,him to be ,divine1 to be ,his ,son4 ,again in ,john #aa3ch we read1 ,jesus1 therefore1 again groaning in himself cometh to the tomb4 ,now it was a cave1 and a stone laid against it4 ,here we see ,jesus in ,his humanity1 but four verses further down1 the #dcrd and #ddth verses1 we read1 ,and when ,he had thus spoken1 ,he cried with a loud voice1 ,lazarus1 come forth4 ,and he that was dead came forth4 ,here again his ,deity shines forth4 ,in ,luke #i3bh we read1 ,and it came to pass about eight days after these sayings1 that he took with him ,peter and ,john and ,james1 and went up into the mountain to pray4 ,here we very clearly see ,his humanity1 ,his limitation1 ,his dependence upon ,god2 but in the very next verse1 the #bith verse1 we read1 ,and as ,he was praying the fashion of his countenance was altered and ,his raiment became white and glistering4 ,here we see ,his ,divinity shining forth1 and then again in the #ceth verse1 we read of the voice coming out of the cloud1 saying1 ,this is my son1 my chosen2 hear ye him4 ,here ,his ,deity unmistakably is seen again4 ,in ,matt4 #af3af1 #ag1 we read1 ,and ,simon ,peter answered and said1 thou art the ,christ1 the son of the living ,god4 ,and ,jesus answered and said unto him1 ,blessed art thou1 ,simon ,bar-,jona3 for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee1 but my father who is in heaven4 ,here is a clear declaration by ,jesus ,himself of ,his ,deity4 ,but four verses further down in the chapter1 the #bdth verse1 we read1 ,from that time began ,jesus to show unto his disciples that he must go up unto ,jerusalem1 and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes1 and be killed1 and the third day rise from the dead4 ,here we have the clearest declaration of the reality and completeness of ,his humanity4 ,in ,heb4 #a3f1 we read of our ,lord ,jesus1 ,and when ,he 7i4e41 ,god the ,father7 again bringeth in the first-begotten into the world he saith1 and let all the angels of ,god worship him4 ,here is a most unmistakable and inescapable declaration that ,jesus ,christ is a ,divine ,person1 to be worshipped as ,god by angels as well as men1 and two verses further down we read this further declaration of ,his absolute ,deity1 ,but of the son he saith1 ,thy throne ,o ,god1 is for ever and ever4 ,here again the ,son is declared in so many words to be ,god1 ,he is called ,god4 ,but in the very next chapter1 ,heb4 #b3ah1 we read1 ,for in that ,he himself hath suffered being tempted1 ,he is able to succor them that are tempted4 ,here we have the clearest possible declaration of the reality of ,his human nature4 ,in ,heb4 #d3ad we read1 ,having then a great high priest1 who hath passed through the heavens1 ,jesus the ,son of ,god1 let us hold fast our profession4 ,here we have a plain declaration of ,his ,deity2 but in the very next verse1 we read1 ,for we have not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities2 but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are1 yet without sin4 ,one of the plainest declarations of the fullness and completeness of ,his humanity to be found in the ,bible4 ,the doctrine of the ,deity of ,jesus ,christ and the doctrine that ,jesus ,christ was a real man1 go hand in hand in the ,bible4 ,what kind of a ,saviour1 what kind of a ,lord ,jesus1 do you believe in8 ,do you believe in a ,saviour that is a man and man only8 ,then you do not believe in the ,saviour that is presented in the ,bible4 ,on the other hand1 do you believe in a ,saviour that is ,god and ,god only8 ,then you do not believe in the ,saviour of the ,bible4 ,the ,lord ,jesus1 our ,lord and ,saviour1 presented to us in the ,bible1 is very ,god of very ,god and at the same time ,he is our brother1 our fellowman1 and is not ashamed to call us brethren4 ,oh1 ,i thank ,god that ,i have a ,saviour that is ,god1 possessed of all the attributes and powers of ,deity1 all the perfections of ,deity1 a ,saviour for whom nothing is too hard4 ,i thank ,god that my ,saviour is ,one who made the heavens and the earth1 and who holds all the powers of nature and of history in ,his control2 but ,i equally thank ,god that my ,saviour is my brother man1 ,one who was tempted in all points like as ,i am1 ,one who is in a position to bear my sins1 on the one hand because ,he is ,god1 on the other hand because ,he is man4 ,a merely divine ,saviour could not be a ,saviour for me4 ,a merely human ,saviour could not be a ,saviour for me4 ,but a ,saviour in whom ,deity and humanity meet2 a ,saviour who is at once ,god and man1 is just the ,saviour ,i need1 and the ,saviour that you need1 a ,saviour that is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto ,god through ,him4 ,,vi ,,the ,,personality ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,the ,communion of the ,holy ,ghost4--#b ,cor4 #ac3ad4 ,our subject this morning is ,the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,no series of sermons upon the ,fundamentals of our ,christian faith would be complete without a sermon on the ,personality and ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the doctrine of the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit is both fundamental and vital4 ,any one who does not know the ,holy ,spirit as a person has not attained to a complete and well-rounded ,christian experience4 ,any one who knows ,god the ,father and ,god the ,son1 but who does not know ,god the ,holy ,spirit has not attained unto the ,christian conception of ,god1 nor to a fully ,christian experience4 ,it may seem to you at first thought as if the doctrine of the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit were a purely technical and apparently impractical doctrine1 but it is not so4 ,as we shall see shortly1 the doctrine of the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit is a doctrine of the very first practical importance4 ,i4 ,,the ,,importance ,,of ,,the ,,doctrine ,,of ,,the ,,personality ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit #a4 ,the ,doctrine of the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit is of the highest importance from the standpoint of worship4 ,if the ,holy ,spirit is a person and a ,divine ,person1 and ,he is1 and if we do not know ,him as such1 if we think of the ,holy ,spirit only as an impersonal influence or power1 then we are robbing a ,divine ,person of the worship which is ,his due1 and the love which is ,his due1 and the confidence and surrender and obedience which are ,his due4 ,and may ,i stop at this point to ask each one of you1 ,do you worship the ,holy ,spirit8 ,theoretically we all do1 every time we sing the long metre ,doxology1 ,praise ,god from whom all blessings flow1 ,praise ,him all creatures here below4 ,praise ,him above1 ye heavenly hosts1 ,praise ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost4 ,theoretically we all do every time we sing the ,gloria ,patri3 ,glory be to the ,father and to the ,son and to the ,holy ,ghost4 ,as it was in the beginning1 is now1 and ever shall be1 world without end4 ,amen4 ,but it is one thing to do a thing theoretically and quite another thing to actually do it4 ,it is one thing to sing words1 quite another thing to realise the meaning and the force of the words that you sing4 ,i had a striking illustration of this some years ago4 ,i was going to a ,bible ,conference in ,new ,york ,state4 ,i had to pass through a city four miles from the grounds where the ,conference was held4 ,i had a relative living in that city and on the way to the ,conference stopped to call upon my relative1 who went with me to the ,conference4 ,this relative was a ,christian1 she was much older than ,i1 had been a ,christian much longer than ,i1 a member of the ,presbyterian ,church1 brought up on the ,shorter ,catechism1 and thoroughly orthodox4 ,i spoke that morning at the ,conference on the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,when the address was over1 we were waiting on the veranda of the hotel for the trolley to take us back to the city4 ,my relative turned to me and said1 ,archie1 ,i never thought of it before as a person4 ,well1 ,i had never thought of it as a person1 but thank ,god ,i had come to know ,him as a person4 #b4 ,in the second place1 it is of the highest importance from a practical standpoint that we know the ,holy ,spirit as a person4 ,if you think of the ,holy ,spirit1 as so many even among ,christian people do1 as a mere influence or power1 then your thought will be1 ,how can ,i get hold of the ,holy ,spirit and use it4 ,but if you think of ,him in the ,biblical way as a ,divine person1 your thought will be1 ,how can the ,holy ,spirit get hold of me and use me8 ,is there no difference between the thought of man1 the worm1 using ,god to thresh the mountain1 or ,god using man1 the worm1 to thresh the mountain8 ,the former conception is heathenish1 it does not differ essentially from the conception of the ,african fetich worshipper who uses his god4 ,the latter conception1 of ,god the ,holy ,ghost getting hold of and using us1 is lofty and ,christian4 ,if you think of the ,holy ,spirit merely as an influence or power1 your thought will be1 ,how can ,i get more of the ,holy ,spirit8 ,but if you think of ,him in the ,biblical way as a person1 your thought will be1 ,how can the ,holy ,spirit get more of me8 ,the former conception1 the conception of the ,holy ,spirit as a mere influence or power1 inevitably leads to self-confidence1 to self-exaltation1 to the parade of self4 ,if you think of the ,holy ,spirit as an influence or power and then fancy that you have received the ,holy ,spirit1 the inevitable result will be that you will strut around as if you belonged to a superior order of ,christians4 ,i remember a woman who came to me one afternoon at the ,northfield ,bible ,conference at the close of an address and said to me1 ,brother ,torrey1 ,i want to ask you a question2 but before ,i do1 ,i want you to understand that ,i am a ,holy ,ghost woman4 ,it made me shudder4 ,it did not sound like it4 ,but on the other hand1 if you think of the ,holy ,spirit in the ,biblical way as a ,divine ,person of infinite majesty1 who comes to dwell in our hearts and take possession of us and use us1 it leads to self-renunciation1 self-abnegation1 self-humiliation4 ,i know of no thought that is more calculated to put one in the dust and keep one in the dust than this great ,biblical truth of the ,holy ,ghost as a ,divine ,person coming to take up ,his dwelling in our hearts1 and to take possession of our lives and to use us4 #c4 ,the doctrine of the personality of the ,holy ,spirit is of the highest importance from the standpoint of experience4 ,thousands and tens of thousands of ,christian men and women can testify to an entire transformation of their experience through coming to know the ,holy ,spirit as a person4 ,in fact1 this address upon the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit which1 for substance1 ,i have given in almost every city in which ,i have ever held a series of meetings1 is in some respects apparently the most abstruse and technical subject that ,i ever attempted to handle before a popular audience1 and yet1 notwithstanding that fact1 more men and women have come to me at the close of the address and more have written to me1 testifying of personal blessing received1 than of any other address which ,god has permitted me to give4 ,,ii4 ,,four ,,lines ,,of ,,proof ,,of ,,the ,,personality ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,there are four separate and distinct lines of proof of the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit4 #a4 ,the first line of proof of the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit is that all the distinctive marks or characteristics of personality are ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit in the ,bible4 ,what are the distinctive characteristics of personality8 ,knowledge1 feeling and will4 ,any being who knows and feels and wills is a person4 ,oftentimes when you say that the ,holy ,spirit is a person1 people understand you to mean that the ,holy ,spirit has hands and feet and fingers and toes and eyes and ears and nose and mouth1 and so on4 ,but these are not the marks of personality1 these are the marks of corporeity4 ,any being who knows1 thinks and wills is a person whether he have a body or not4 ,now all these characteristics of personality are ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit in the ,bible4 7#a7 ,turn in your ,bibles to #a ,cor4 #b3aa4 ,for what man knoweth the things of a man1 save the spirit of man which is in him8 ,even so the things of ,god knoweth no man1 but the ,spirit of ,god4 ,here knowledge is ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the ,holy ,spirit in other words1 is not a mere illumination that comes to your mind and mine whereby our minds are cleared and strengthened to see truth that they would not otherwise discover4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is a ,person who ,himself knows the things of ,god and reveals to us what ,he ,himself knows4 7#b7 ,now turn to #a ,cor4 #ab3aa3 ,but all these worketh that one and the selfsame ,spirit1 dividing to every man severally as ,he will4 ,here will is ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the thought clearly is that the ,holy ,spirit is not a divine power that we get hold of and use according to our will1 but that the ,holy ,spirit is a person who gets hold of us and uses us according to ,his will4 ,this is one of the most fundamental facts in regard to the ,holy ,spirit that we must bear in mind if we are to get into right relations to ,him4 ,more people are going astray at this point than almost any other4 ,they are trying to get hold of some divine power which they can use according to their will4 ,i do thank ,god that there is no divine power that ,i can get hold of and use according to my will4 ,what could ,i1 in my foolishness and ignorance1 do with a divine power1 what evil ,i might work6 ,but on the other hand1 ,i am still more glad that while there is no divine power that ,i can get hold of and use according to my foolish will1 there is a ,divine ,person who can get hold of me and use me according to ,his infinitely wise and loving will4 7#c7 ,turn now to ,rom4 #h3bg4 ,and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the ,spirit1 because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of ,god4 ,what ,i wish you to notice here is expression1 the mind of the ,spirit4 ,the ,greek word here translated mind is a comprehensive word that has in it the ideas of both thought and purpose4 ,it is the same word which is used in the #gth verse of the chapter where we read1 ,the mind of the flesh is enmity against ,god1 where the thought is that not merely the thought of the flesh is against ,god1 but the whole moral and intellectual life of the flesh is enmity against ,god4 7#d7 ,we now turn to a most remarkable passage--,rom4 #ae3cj4 ,now ,i beseech you1 brethren1 for the ,lord ,jesus ,christ's sake1 and for the love of the ,spirit1 that ye strive together with me in your prayers to ,god for me4 ,what ,i wish you to notice in this verse are the words ,the love of the ,spirit4 ,it is a wonderful thought4 ,it teaches us that the ,holy ,spirit is not a mere blind influence or power1 no matter how beneficent1 that comes into our hearts and lives1 but that ,he is a ,divine ,person1 loving us with the tenderest love4 ,i wonder how many of us have ever thought much regarding the love of the ,spirit4 ,i wonder how many of us ministers who are here to-day have ever preached a sermon on the love of the ,spirit4 ,i wonder how many of you have ever heard a sermon on the love of the ,spirit4 ,every day of your life you kneel down before ,god the ,father1 at least ,i hope you do1 and say1 ,heavenly ,father1 ,i thank thee for thy great love that led thee to give thy ,son to come down to this world and die upon the cross of ,calvary in my place4 ,every day of your life you kneel down and look up into the face of ,jesus ,christ the ,son and say1 ,thou blessed ,son of ,god1 ,i thank thee for that great love of thine that led thee to come down to this world in obedience to the ,father and die in my place upon the cross of ,calvary4 ,but did you ever kneel down and look up to the ,holy ,spirit and say to him1 ,holy ,spirit1 ,i thank thee for that great love of thine8 ,and yet we owe our salvation as truly to the love of the ,holy ,spirit as we do to the love of the ,father and the love of the ,son4 ,if it had not been for the love of ,god the ,father to me1 looking down upon me in my lost estate1 yes1 anticipating my fall and ruin and sending ,his ,son down to this world to die upon the cross1 to die in my place1 ,i would have been in hell to-day4 ,if it had not been for the love of ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son1 coming down to this world in obedience to the ,father to lay down ,his life1 a perfect atoning sacrifice on the cross of ,cavalry in my stead1 ,i would have been in hell to-day4 ,but if it had not been for the love of the ,holy ,spirit to me1 coming down to this world in obedience to the ,father and the ,son1 seeking me out in my lost condition1 following me day after day1 and week after week1 and month after month1 and year after year1 when ,i would not listen to ,him1 when ,i deliberately turned my back upon ,him1 when ,i insulted ,him1 following me into places where it must have been agony for ,one so holy to go1 following me day after day1 week after week1 month after month1 year after year1 until at last ,he succeeded in bringing me to my senses and bringing me to realise my utterly lost condition and revealed the ,lord ,jesus to me as just the ,saviour ,i needed and induced me and enabled me to receive the ,lord ,jesus as my ,saviour and my ,lord2 if it had not been for this patient1 long-suffering1 never-wearying love of the ,spirit of ,god to me1 ,i would have been in hell to-day4 7#e7 ,turn now to a passage in the ,old ,testament4 ,neh4 #i3bj4 ,thou gavest also thy good ,spirit to instruct them1 and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth1 and gavest them water for their thirst4 ,here both intelligence and goodness are ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this passage does not add anything to the thought that we have already had3 ,i brought it in simply because it is from the ,old ,testament4 ,there are those who say that the doctrine of the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit is in the ,new ,testament1 but is not in the ,old ,testament2 but here we find it as clearly in the ,old ,testament as in the ,new4 ,of course1 we do not find it as frequently in the ,old ,testament as in the ,new1 for this is the dispensation of the ,holy ,spirit3 but the doctrine of the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit is there in the ,old ,testament4 ,there are many who say that the doctrine of the ,trinity is not in the ,old ,testament1 that while it is in the ,new1 it is not in the ,old4 ,but it is in the ,old1 in the very first chapter of the ,bible4 ,in ,gen4 #a3bf we read1 ,and ,god said1 let us make man in our image1 after our likeness4 ,here the plurality of the persons in the ,godhead comes out clearly4 ,god did not say1 ,i will or ,let me make man in my image4 ,he said1 ,let us make man in our image1 after our likeness4 ,the three persons of the ,trinity are found in the first three verses of the ,bible3 ,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth4 ,there you have ,god the ,father4 ,and the earth was without form and void2 and darkness was upon the face of the deep4 ,and the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters4 ,there you have the ,holy ,spirit4 ,and ,god said1 there you have the ,word1 ,let there be light3 and there was light4 ,here we have the three persons of the ,trinity in the first three verses of the ,bible4 ,in fact the doctrine of the ,trinity is found hundreds of times in the ,old ,testament4 ,in the ,hebrew ,bible it occurs in every place where you find the word ,god in your ,english ,bible1 for the ,hebrew word for ,god is a plural noun4 ,literally translated1 it would be ,gods and not ,god4 ,in the very passage to which the ,unitarians and the ,jews1 who reject the ,deity of ,christ1 refer so often as proving conclusively that the ,deity of ,christ cannot be true1 namely ,deut4 #f3d1 the very doctrine that they are seeking to disprove is found2 for ,deut4 #f3d literally translated would read ,hear1 ,o ,israel3 ,jehovah our ,gods is one ,jehovah4 ,why did the ,hebrews with their intense monotheism1 use a plural name for ,god8 ,this was the question that puzzled the ,hebrew grammarians and lexicographers1 and the best explanation they could arrive at was that the plural for ,god here used was the pluralis majestatis1 the plural of majesty4 ,the explanation is entirely inadequate1 to say nothing of the fact that the pluralis majestatis in the ,old ,testament is a figure of very doubtful validity4 ,there is another explanation far nearer at hand1 and far more adequate and satisfactory1 and that is that the ,hebrew inspired writers use a plural name for ,god in spite of their intense monotheism1 because there is a plurality of persons in the one ,godhead4 7#f7 ,now turn to ,eph4 #d3cj4 ,and grieve not the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption4 ,here grief is ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,in other words1 the ,holy ,spirit is not a mere blind impersonal influence or power that comes to dwell in your heart and mine1 but a person1 a person who loves us1 a person who is holy and intensely sensitive against sin1 a person who recoils from sin in what we call its slightest forms as the holiest woman of earth never recoiled from sin in its grossest and most repulsive forms4 ,and ,he sees whatever we do1 ,he hears whatever we say1 ,he sees our very thoughts1 not a vagrant fancy is allowed a moment's lodgment in our mind but what ,he sees it4 ,and if there is anything impure1 unholy1 immodest1 untrue1 false1 censorious1 or un,christlike in any way1 ,he is grieved beyond expression4 ,this is a wonderful thought and it is to me the mightiest incentive that ,i know to a ,christian walk4 ,how many a young man is kept back from doing things that he would otherwise do1 by the thought that1 if he did do that1 his mother might hear of it and it would grieve her beyond expression4 ,how many a young man has come to the great city and in some hour of temptation has been about to go into a place that no self-respecting man ought ever to enter1 but just as his hand is on the doorknob and he is about to open the door1 the thought comes to him1 ,if ,i should enter there mother might hear of it1 and if she did1 it would nearly kill her1 and he has turned away without entering2 but there is ,one holier than the holiest mother that any of us ever knew1 ,one who loves us with a tenderer love than our own mother loves us1 and ,who sees everything we do1 not only in the daylight but under the cover of night2 ,who hears every word we utter1 every careless word that escapes our lips2 ,who sees every thought we entertain1 yes1 ,who sees every fleeting fancy that we allow a moment's lodgment in our mind2 and if there is anything unholy1 impure1 immodest1 indecorous1 unkind1 harsh1 censorious or unchristlike in any way in act or word or thought1 ,he sees it and is grieved beyond expression4 ,oh1 how often there has come into my mind some thought or imagination1 ,i know not from what source1 but that ,i ought not to entertain1 and just as ,i was about to give it lodgment1 the thought has come1 ,the ,holy ,spirit sees that and will be grieved by it1 and the thought has gone4 ,bearing this thought of the ,holy ,spirit in our mind will help us to solve all the questions that perplex the young believer to-day4 ,for example1 the question1 ,ought ,i as a ,christian go to the theatre or the movies8 ,well1 if you go the ,holy ,spirit will go2 for ,he dwells in the heart of every believer and goes wherever the believer goes4 ,were you ever at a theatre or at a moving picture show in your life where you thought the atmosphere of the place would be congenial to the ,holy ,spirit8 ,if not1 don't go4 ,ought ,i as a ,christian go to the dance8 ,well1 here again1 if you go1 the ,holy ,spirit will surely go4 ,were you ever at a dance in your life where you believed the atmosphere of the place would be congenial to the ,holy ,spirit8 ,shall ,i as a ,christian play cards8 ,were you ever at a card party in all your life1 even the most select little neighbourhood gathering1 or even a home gathering to play cards1 where you thought the atmosphere of the place would be congenial to the ,holy ,spirit8 ,if not1 don't play4 ,so with all the questions that come up and that some of us find so hard to settle1 this thought of the ,holy ,spirit will help you to settle them all1 and to settle them right1 if you really desire to settle them right and not merely to do the thing that pleases yourself4 #b4 ,the second line of proof of the personality of the ,holy ,spirit is that1 many actions are ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit that only a person can perform4 ,there are many illustrations of this in the ,bible2 but ,i will limit our consideration this morning to three instances4 7#a7 ,turn again to the #bnd chapter of #a ,corinthians4 ,in the #ajth verse1 we read1 ,but unto us1 ,god revealed them through the ,spirit3 for the ,spirit searcheth all things1 yea1 the deep things of ,god4 ,here the ,holy ,spirit is represented as searching the deep things of ,god4 ,in other words1 as we said under our previous heading1 the ,holy ,spirit is not a mere illumination whereby our minds are made clear and strong to apprehend truth that they would not otherwise discover1 but the ,holy ,spirit is a person ,who ,himself searches into the deep things of ,god and reveals to us the things which ,he discovers4 ,such words could only be spoken of a person4 7#b7 ,now turn to ,rom4 #h3bf ,and in like manner the ,spirit also helpeth our infirmity3 for we know not how to pray as we ought but the spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered4 ,here the ,holy ,spirit is represented as doing what only a person can do1 praying4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is not a mere influence that comes to impel us to prayer1 and not a mere guidance to us in offering our prayers4 ,he is a person who ,himself prays4 ,every believer in ,christ has two ,divine ,persons praying for ,him4 ,first1 the ,son1 our ,advocate with the ,father1 who ever liveth to make intercession for us up yonder at the right hand of ,god in the place of power 7,john #b3a and ,heb4 #g3be74 ,second1 the ,holy ,spirit who prays through us down here4 ,oh1 what a wonderful thought1 that we have these two divine persons praying for us every day4 ,what a sense it gives us of our security4 7#c7 ,now turn to two other closely related passages4 ,john #ad3bf4 ,but the comforter1 even the ,holy ,spirit1 whom the ,father will send in my name1 he shall teach you all things1 and bring to your remembrance all that ,i have said unto you4 ,here the ,holy ,spirit is represented as doing what only a person could do1 namely1 teaching4 ,we have the same thought in ,john #af3ab-ad4 ,i have yet many things to say unto you1 but ye cannot bear them now4 ,howbeit when ,he1 the ,spirit of ,truth1 is come1 ,he shall guide you into all the truth3 for ,he shall not speak from ,himself2 but what things soever ,he shall hear1 these shall ,he speak3 and ,he shall declare unto you the things that are to come4 ,he shall glorify me2 for ,he shall take of mine1 and shall declare it unto you4 ,here again the ,holy ,spirit is represented as a living personal teacher4 ,it is our privilege to have the ,holy ,spirit as a living person to-day as our teacher4 ,every time we study our ,bibles1 it is possible for us to have this ,divine ,person the author of the ,book1 to interpret it to us and to teach us its meaning4 ,it is a precious thought4 ,how many of us have often thought when we heard some great human teacher whom ,god has especially blessed to us1 ,oh1 if ,i could only hear that man every day1 then ,i might make some progress in my ,christian life1 but we can have a teacher more competent by far than the greatest human teacher that ever spoke for our teacher every day1 the ,holy ,spirit4 #c4 ,the third line of proof of the personality of the ,holy ,spirit is that an office is predicated of the ,holy ,spirit that could only be predicated of a person4 ,look for example at ,john #ad3af1 #ag4 ,here we read1 ,and ,i will pray the ,father1 and ,he shall give you another ,comforter1 that ,he may abide with you forever1 even the ,spirit of truth3 whom the world cannot receive2 for it seeth him not4 ,neither knoweth him3 ye know him2 for ,he abideth with you1 and shall be in you4 ,here the ,holy ,spirit is represented as another ,comforter who is coming to take the place of our ,lord ,jesus4 ,up to this time our ,lord ,jesus had been the friend always at hand to help them in every emergency that arose4 ,but now ,he was going and their hearts were filled with consternation1 and ,he tells them that while ,he is going1 another is coming to take ,his place4 ,can you imagine our ,lord ,jesus saying this if the other that was coming to take ,his place was a mere impersonal influence or power8 ,can you imagine our ,lord ,jesus saying what ,he says in ,john #af3g1 ,nevertheless ,i tell you the truth1 it is expedient for you that ,i go away2 for if ,i go not away1 the ,comforter will not come unto you2 but if ,i go1 ,i will send him unto you1 if that which was coming to take ,his place was not another person but a mere influence or power4 ,in that case1 is it for a moment conceivable that our ,lord could say that it was expedient for ,him1 a ,divine ,person1 to go and a mere influence or power1 no matter how divine1 come to take ,his place8 ,no6 ,no6 ,what our ,lord said was that ,he1 one ,divine ,person1 was going1 but that another ,person1 just as ,divine1 was coming to take ,his place4 ,this promise is to me one of the most precious promises in the whole ,word of ,god for this present dispensation1 the thought that during the absence of my ,lord1 until that glad day when ,he shall come back again1 another ,person1 just as divine as ,he1 is by my side1 yes1 dwells in my heart every moment to commune with me and to help me in every emergency that can possibly arise4 ,i suppose you know that the ,greek word translated ,comforter in these verses means more than ,comforter4 ,it means ,comforter plus a whole lot beside4 ,the ,greek word so translated is parakletos4 ,this word is a compound word1 compounded of the word para which means alongside1 and kletos1 one called1 ,one called to stand alongside another to take his part and help him in every emergency that arises4 ,it is the same word that is translated advocate in #a ,john #b3a1 ,if any man sin1 we have an advocate 7parakleton7 with the ,father1 ,jesus ,christ the righteous4 ,but the word ,advocate does not give the full force of the word4 ,etymologically it means about the same4 ,advocate is a ,latin word transliterated into the ,english4 ,the word is compounded of two words1 ad1 meaning to1 and vocatus1 one called1 that is to say1 one called to another to take his part1 or to help him4 ,but in our ,english usage it has obtained a restricted sense4 ,the ,greek word1 as already said1 means one called alongside another1 and the thought is of a helper always at hand with his counsel and his strength and any form of help needed4 ,up to this time the ,lord ,jesus ,himself had been their ,paraclete1 or friend always at hand to help4 ,whenever they got into any trouble they simply turned to ,him4 ,for example1 on one occasion they were perplexed on the subject of prayer and they said to the ,lord1 ,lord teach us to pray4 ,and ,he taught them to pray4 ,on another occasion when ,jesus was coming to them walking on the water1 when their first fear was over and ,he had said1 ,it is ,i1 be not afraid1 then ,peter said to ,him1 ,lord1 if it be thou1 bid me come unto thee upon the water4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,come4 ,then ,peter clambered over the side of the fishing smack and commenced to go to ,jesus walking on the water4 ,seemingly he turned around1 took his eyes off the ,lord and looked at the fishing smack to see if the other disciples1 ,john and ,james1 and the rest1 were noticing how well he was getting on1 but no sooner had he got his eyes off the ,lord than he began to sink1 and he cried out saying1 ,lord1 save me1 and ,jesus reached out ,his hand and held him up4 ,just so1 when they got into any other emergency they turned to the ,lord and ,he delivered them4 ,but now ,he was going1 and consternation filled their hearts1 and the ,lord said to them1 ,yes1 ,i am going but another just as divine1 just as able to help1 is coming to take my place1 and this other ,paraclete is with us wherever we go1 every hour of the day or night4 ,he is always by our side4 ,if this thought gets into your heart and stays there1 you will never have another moment of fear no matter how long you live4 ,how can we fear in any circumstances1 if ,he is by our side8 ,you may be surrounded by a howling mob4 ,but what of it if ,he walks between you and the mob8 ,that thought will banish all fear4 ,i had a striking illustration of this in my own experience some years ago4 ,i was speaking at a ,bible ,conference on ,lake ,kenka in ,new ,york ,state4 ,i had a cousin who had a cottage four miles up the lake and ,i went up there and spent my rest day with him4 ,the next day he brought me down in his steam launch to the pier where the ,conference was held4 ,as ,i stepped off the launch onto the pier he said to me1 ,come back again to-night and spend the night with us1 and ,i promised him that ,i would2 but ,i did not realise what ,i was promising4 ,that night1 when the address was over as ,i went out of the hotel and started on my walk1 ,i found that ,i had undertaken a large contract4 ,the cottage was four miles away1 but a four mile walk or an eight mile walk was nothing under ordinary circumstances1 but a storm was coming up1 the whole heaven was overcast4 ,the path led along a bluff bordering the lake1 the path was near the edge of the bluff4 ,sometimes the lake was perhaps not more than ten or twelve feet below1 at other times some thirty or forty feet below4 ,i had never gone over the path before and as there was no starlight1 ,i couldn't see the path at all4 ,furthermore1 there had already been a storm that had gulleyed out deep ditches across the path into which one might fall and break his leg4 ,i couldn't see these ditches except when there would be a sudden flash of lightning1 and then ,i would see one and then it would be darker and ,i blinder than ever4 ,as ,i walked along this path1 so near the edge of the bluff with all the furrows cut through it1 ,i felt it was perilous to take the walk and thought of going back2 and then the thought came to me1 ,you promised that you would come to-night and they may be sitting up waiting for you4 ,so ,i felt that ,i must go on4 ,but it seemed creepy and uncanny to walk along the edge of that bluff on such an uncertain path that ,i couldn't see1 and could only hear the sobbing and wailing and the moaning of the lake at the foot of the bluff as it rose in the fast approaching storm4 ,then the thought came to me1 what was it you told the people there at the conference about the ,holy ,spirit being a ,person always by our side8 ,and ,i at once realised that the ,holy ,spirit walked between me and the edge of the bluff2 and that four miles through the dark was four miles without a fear1 a gladsome instead of a fearsome walk4 ,i once threw this thought out in the ,royal ,albert ,hall in ,london1 one dark dismal ,february afternoon4 ,there was a young lady in the audience who was very much afraid of the dark4 ,it simply seemed impossible for her to go into a dark room alone4 ,after the meeting was over she hurried home and rushed in to the room where her mother was sitting and cried1 ,o mother1 ,i have heard the most wonderful address this afternoon about the ,holy ,spirit always being by our side as our ever-present helper and protector4 ,i shall never be afraid of the dark again4 ,her mother was a practical ,english woman and said to her1 ,well1 let us see how real that is4 ,now go upstairs to the top floor1 into the dark room1 and shut the door and stay in there alone in the dark4 ,the daughter went bounding up the stairs1 went into the dark room1 closed the door and it was pitch dark1 and ,oh1 she wrote me the next day1 it was dark1 utterly dark1 but that room was bright and glorious with the presence of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,in this thought is also the cure for insomnia4 ,did any of you ever have insomnia8 ,i did4 ,for two dark1 awful years4 ,night after night1 ,i would go to bed1 almost dead1 as it seemed to me1 for sleep1 and ,i thought ,i would certainly sleep as ,i could scarcely keep awake2 but scarcely had my head touched the pillow when ,i knew ,i wouldn't sleep and ,i would hear the clock strike twelve1 one1 two1 three1 four1 five1 six1 and then it was time to get up4 ,it seemed as though ,i didn't sleep at all1 though ,i have no doubt ,i did3 for ,i believe that people who suffer from insomnia sleep more than they think they do1 else we would die3 but it seemed as if ,i didn't sleep at all1 and this went on for two whole years1 until ,i thought that if ,i couldn't get sleep ,i would lose my mind4 ,and then ,i got deliverance4 ,for years ,i would retire and fall asleep about as soon as my head touched the pillow4 ,but one night ,i went to bed in the ,bible ,institute in ,chicago where ,i was then stopping4 ,i expected to fall asleep almost immediately1 as had become my custom1 but scarcely had my head touched the pillow when ,i knew ,i was not going to sleep4 ,insomnia was back4 ,if you have ever had him you will always recognise him4 ,it seemed as if ,insomnia was sitting on the footboard looking like an imp1 grinning at me and saying ,i am back for two more years4 ,oh1 ,i thought1 two more years of this awful insomnia4 ,but that very morning ,i had been teaching the students in the lecture room on the floor below on the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit1 and the thought came to me almost immediately1 ,what was that you were telling the students down stairs this morning about the ,holy ,spirit being always with us8 ,and ,i said1 ,why don't you practice what you preach8 ,and ,i looked up and said1 ,o thou blessed ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 thou art here1 if thou hast anything to say to me1 ,i will listen4 ,and ,he opened to me some of the sweet and precious things about ,jesus ,christ1 filling my soul with calm and peace and joy1 and the next thing ,i knew ,i was asleep and the next thing ,i knew it was to-morrow morning2 and whenever ,insomnia has come around since and sat on my footboard1 ,i have done the same thing and it has never failed4 ,in this thought also is a cure for all loneliness4 ,if the thought of the ,holy ,spirit as an ,ever-present ,friend always at hand1 once enters your heart and stays there1 you will never have another lonely moment as long as you live4 ,my life for the larger part of the last sixteen years has been a lonely life4 ,i have often been separated from all my family for months at a time4 ,i have not seen my wife sometimes for two or three months at a time and for eighteen months ,i did not see any member of my family but my wife4 ,one night ,i was walking the deck of a steamer in the ,south ,seas between ,new ,zealand and ,tasmania4 ,it was a stormy night4 ,most of the other passengers were below sick1 none of the officers nor sailors could walk with me for they had their hands full looking after the boat4 ,i had to walk the deck alone4 ,four of the five other members of my family were on the other side of the globe1 seventeen thousand miles away by the nearest route that ,i could get to them1 and the one member of my family who was nearer was not with me that night4 ,as ,i walked the deck alone ,i got to thinking of the four children seventeen thousand miles away and was about to get lonesome1 when the thought came to me of the ,holy ,spirit by my side1 and that as ,i walked ,he took every step with me1 and all loneliness was gone4 ,i gave expression to this thought some years ago in the city of ,st4 ,paul1 and at the close of the address a physician came to me and said1 ,i wish to thank you for that thought4 ,i am often called at night to go out alone through darkness and storm far into the country1 and ,i have been very lonely1 but ,i will never be lonely again1 for ,i will know that every step of the way the ,holy ,spirit is beside me in my doctor's gig4 ,in this same precious truth there is a cure for a broken heart4 ,oh1 how many broken-hearted people there are in the world to-day1 especially in these days of war and bloodshed and death6 ,many of us here have lost loved ones4 ,many more of us in all probability will during the months that are just ahead of us4 ,but we need not have a moment's heartache if we only know the communion of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,there is perhaps here to-day some woman who a year ago1 or a few months ago1 or a few weeks ago1 or a few days ago1 had by her side a man whom she dearly loved1 a man so strong and wise that she was freed from all sense of responsibility and care2 for all the burdens were upon him1 and how bright and happy life was in his companionship6 ,but the dark day came when that loved one was taken away1 and how lonely and empty and barren1 and full of burden and care1 life is to-day6 ,listen6 ,there is ,one who walks right by your side1 wiser and stronger and more loving than the wisest and strongest and most loving husband that ever lived1 ready to bear all the burdens and responsibilities of life1 yes1 ready to do far more3 to come in and dwell in your heart and fill every nook and corner of your empty1 aching heart1 and thus banish all loneliness and heartache forever4 ,i said this one afternoon in ,saint ,andrews ,hall in ,glasgow4 ,at the close of the address1 when ,i passed out into the reception room1 a lady who had hurried along to meet me1 approached me4 ,she wore a widow's bonnet1 her face bore the marks of deep sorrow1 but now there was a happy look in her face4 ,she hurried to me and said1 ,doctor ,torrey1 this is the anniversary of my dear husband's death 7her husband was one of the most highly esteemed ,christian men in ,glasgow7 and ,i came to ,saint ,andrews ,hall to-day saying to myself1 ',doctor ,torrey will have something to say that will help me4' ,oh1 she continued1 you have said just the right word6 ,i will never be lonesome again1 never have a heartache again4 ,i will let the ,holy ,spirit come in and fill every aching corner of my heart4 ,eighteen months passed2 ,i was in ,scotland again1 taking a short vacation on the lochs of the ,clyde on the private yacht of a friend4 ,one day we stopped off a point1 a little boat put off from the point and came alongside the steam yacht4 ,the first one who clambered up the side of the yacht and onto the deck was this widow4 ,seeing me standing on the deck1 she hurried across and took my hand in both of hers and with a radiant smile on her face she said1 ,oh1 ,doctor ,torrey1 the thought you gave me in ,saint ,andrews ,hall that afternoon stays with me still and ,i have not had a lonely or sad hour from that day to this4 ,but it is in our ,christian work that the thought comes to us with greatest power and helpfulness4 ,take my own experience4 ,i became a minister simply because ,i had to1 or be forever lost4 ,i do not mean that ,i am saved by preaching the ,gospel2 ,i am saved simply on the ground of ,christ's atoning blood and that alone2 but my becoming a ,christian and accepting ,him as my ,saviour turned upon my preaching the ,gospel4 ,for six years ,i refused to come out as a ,christian because ,i was unwilling to preach1 and ,i felt that if ,i became a ,christian ,i must preach4 ,the night that ,i was converted ,i did not say1 ,i will accept ,christ or ,i will give up my sins2 ,i said1 ,i will preach4 ,but if there was ever a man who by natural temperament was unfitted to preach1 it was ,i4 ,i was one of these abnormally bashful boys4 ,a stranger could scarcely speak to me without my blushing to the roots of my hair4 ,of all the tortures ,i endured at school there was none so great as that of reciting a piece4 ,to stand up on the platform and have all the scholars looking at me1 ,i could scarcely endure it1 and when ,i had to recite and my own mother and father asked me to recite the piece before ,i went to school1 ,i simply could not recite it before my own father and mother4 ,think of a man like that going into the ministry4 ,even after ,i was in ,yale ,college1 when ,i would go home on a vacation and my mother would have callers and send for me to come in and meet them1 ,i couldn't say a word4 ,after they were gone my mother would say to me1 ,archie1 why didn't you say something to ,mrs4 ,s4 or ,mrs4 ,d48 and ,i would say1 ,why1 mother1 ,i did6 and she would reply1 ,you didn't utter a sound4 ,i thought ,i did1 but it would come no further than my throat and there be smothered4 ,i was so bashful that ,i never even spoke in a church prayer meeting until after ,i entered the theological seminary4 ,then ,i thought1 if ,i was to be a preacher ,i must at least be able to speak in my own church prayer meeting4 ,i made up my mind ,i would4 ,i learned a piece by heart4 ,i remember some of it now4 ,i think ,i forgot some of it when ,i got up to speak that night4 ,as soon as the meeting was thrown open ,i grasped the back of the settee in front of me and pulled myself up to my feet and held on to it lest ,i should fall4 ,one ,niagara went rushing up one side and another down the other1 and ,i tremblingly repeated as much of my little piece as ,i could remember and then dropped back into the seat4 ,at the close of the meeting a dear old maid1 a lovely ,christian woman1 came to me and cheeringly said1 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,torrey1 ,i want to thank you for what you said to-night4 ,it did me so much good4 ,you spoke with so much feeling4 ,feeling6 ,the only feeling ,i had was that ,i was scared nearly to death4 ,think of a man like that going into the ministry4 ,my first years in the ministry were torture4 ,i preached three times a day4 ,i committed my sermons to memory and then ,i stood up and twisted the top button of my coat until ,i had twisted the sermon out and then when the third sermon was preached and finished1 ,i dropped back into the haircloth settee back of the pulpit with a great sense of relief that that was over for another week4 ,and then the thought would take possession of me1 ,well you have to begin to-morrow morning to get ready for next ,sunday6 ,but a glad day came when the thought ,i am trying to teach you this morning took possession of me1 viz41 that when ,i stood up to preach1 that1 though people saw me1 that there was ,another who stood by my side whom they did not see1 but upon whom was all the responsibility for the meeting1 and all that ,i had to do was to get as far back out of sight as possible and let ,him do the preaching4 ,from that day preaching has been the joy of my life4 ,i would rather preach than eat4 ,sometimes when ,i rise to preach1 before ,i have uttered a word1 the thought of ,him1 standing beside me1 able and willing to take charge of the whole meeting and do whatever needs to be done1 has so filled my heart with exultant joy that ,i have felt like shouting4 ,just so in your ,sunday ,school teaching4 ,some of you worry about your ,sunday ,school classes for fear that you will say something that ought not to be said1 or leave unsaid something that ought to be said1 and the thought of the burden and responsibility almost crushes you4 ,listen6 ,always remember this as you sit there teaching your class3 there is ,one right beside you ,who knows just what ought to be said and just what ought to be done4 ,instead of carrying the responsibility of the class1 let ,him carry it1 let ,him do the teaching4 ,one ,monday morning ,i met one of the most faithful laymen ,i ever knew and a very gifted ,bible teacher4 ,he was deep in the blues1 over his failure with his class the day before--at least1 what he regarded as failure4 ,he unburdened his heart to me4 ,i said to him1 ,mr4 ,dyer1 did you not ask ,god to give you wisdom as you went before that class8 ,he said1 ,i did4 ,i said1 ,did you not expect ,him to give it8 ,he said1 ,i did4 ,then ,i said1 ,what right have you to doubt that ,he did8 ,he replied1 ,i never thought of that before4 ,i will never worry about my class again4 ,just so in personal work4 ,when ,i or some one else urges you at the close of the meeting to go and speak to some one else1 oh1 how many of you want to go1 but you don't stir4 ,you think to yourself1 ,i might say the wrong thing4 ,you will1 if you say it4 ,you will certainly say the wrong thing2 but trust the ,holy ,spirit1 ,he will say the right thing4 ,let ,him have your lips to speak through4 ,it may not appear the right thing at the time1 but some time you will find out that it was just the right thing4 ,one night in ,launceston1 ,tasmania1 as ,mrs4 ,torrey and ,i came away from the meeting1 my wife said to me1 ,archie1 ,i wasted my whole evening4 ,i have been talking to the most frivolous girl4 ,i don't think that she has a serious thought in her head4 ,i replied1 ,clara1 how do you know8 ,did you not trust ,god to guide you8 ,yes4 ,well1 leave it with ,him4 ,the very next night at the close of the meeting the same seemingly utterly frivolous young woman came up to ,mrs4 ,torrey1 leading her mother by the hand1 and said1 ,mrs4 ,torrey1 won't you speak to my mother8 ,you led me to ,christ last night1 now please lead my mother to ,christ4 #d4 ,but ,i must close4 ,there is another line of proof of the personality of the ,holy ,spirit1 but we have no time to dwell upon it4 ,this line of proof is that a treatment is predicated of the ,holy ,spirit that could only be predicated of a person4 ,in ,isa4 #fc3aj we are taught that the ,holy ,spirit is rebelled against and grieved4 ,you cannot rebel against or grieve a mere influence or power4 ,only a person can be rebelled against and grieved4 ,in ,heb4 #aj3bi we are taught that the ,holy ,spirit is done despite unto1 or treated with contumely1 insulted4 ,you cannot treat an influence or power with contumely2 only a person4 ,in ,acts #e3c we are taught that the ,holy ,spirit is lied to4 ,you can only lie to a person4 ,in ,matt4 #ab3ca we are taught that the ,holy ,spirit is blasphemed against4 ,we are told that the blasphemy against the ,holy ,ghost is more serious than the blasphemy against the ,lord ,jesus1 and this certainly could only be said of a person and a ,divine ,person4 ,to sum it all up1 the ,holy ,spirit is a ,person4 ,theoretically we probably all believed this before1 but do we in our real thought of ,him1 in our practical attitude toward ,him1 treat ,him as a person8 ,do we really regard ,him as real a person as ,jesus ,christ is1 as loving1 as wise1 as strong1 as worthy of our confidence and love1 and surrender as ,he8 ,a ,divine ,person always by our side8 ,the ,holy ,spirit came into this world to be to the disciples of our ,lord after our ,lord's own departure1 and to be to us1 what ,jesus ,christ had been to them during the days of ,his personal companionship with them4 ,is ,he that to you to-day8 ,do you know the communion of the ,holy ,spirit8 the companionship of the ,holy ,spirit1 the partnership of the ,holy ,spirit1 the fellowship of the ,holy ,spirit1 the comradeship of the ,holy ,spirit8 ,to put it into a single word1 the whole object of this address this morning1 ,i say it reverently1 is to introduce you to my ,friend1 the ,holy ,spirit4 ,,vii ,,the ,,deity ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,and ,,the ,,distinction ,,between ,,the ,,father1 ,,son ,,and ,,holy ,,spirit ,i spoke in a previous chapter on the personality of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,we saw clearly that the ,holy ,spirit was a person4 ,incidentally ,i referred to ,his ,deity in passing1 but did not dwell upon it1 so the question remains1 ,is the ,holy ,spirit a ,divine person8 and still another question1 ,if the ,holy ,spirit is a ,divine person1 is ,he a separate and distinct personality from the ,father and the ,son8 ,we shall consider this morning what the ,bible teaches upon these points4 ,i4 ,,the ,,deity ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,we take up first the question of the ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the fact that the ,holy ,spirit is a person does not prove that ,he is divine4 ,there are spirits who are persons but who are not ,god4 ,there are five distinct lines of proof of the ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit1 that the ,holy ,spirit is ,god4 #a4 ,the first line of proof of the ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit is that each of the four distinctively ,divine attributes are ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit in the ,bible4 ,there are four distinctively divine attributes2 that is to say1 there are four attributes which ,god alone possesses1 and any person who has these attributes must therefore be ,god4 ,the four distinctively divine attributes are omnipotence1 omniscience1 omnipresence and eternity4 7#a7 ,first of all1 omnipotence is ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit1 for example1 in ,luke #a3ce3 ,and the angel answered and said unto her1 the ,holy ,spirit shall come upon thee1 and the power of the most high shall overshadow thee3 wherefore also that which is to be born shall be called holy1 the ,son of ,god4 ,this passage plainly declares that the ,holy ,spirit has the power of the ,most ,high1 that ,he is omnipotent4 7#b7 ,in the next place1 omniscience is ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this is done1 for example1 in ,i ,corinthians #b3aj1 #aa3 ,but unto us ,god revealed them through the ,spirit3 for the ,spirit searcheth all things1 yea1 the deep things of ,god4 ,for who among men knoweth the things of a man1 save the ,spirit of the man1 which is in him8 ,even so the things of ,god none knoweth1 save the ,spirit of ,god4 ,here we are distinctly told that the ,holy ,spirit searcheth all things and knoweth all things1 even the deep things of ,god4 ,we find the same thought again in ,john #ad3bf3 ,but the ,comforter1 even the ,holy ,spirit1 whom the ,father will send in my name1 ,he shall teach you all things1 and bring to your remembrance all that ,i said unto you4 ,here we are distinctly told that the ,holy ,spirit teaches all things1 and therefore must know all things4 ,this is stated even more explicitly in ,john #af3ab-ac3 ,i have yet many things to say unto you1 but ye cannot bear them now4 ,howbeit when ,he1 the ,spirit of ,truth1 is come1 ,he shall guide you into all the truth4 ,in all these passages it is either directly declared or unmistakably implied that the ,holy ,spirit knows all things1 that ,he is omniscient4 7#c7 ,in the third place1 omnipresence is ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,we find this in ,psalms #aci3g-aj3 ,whither shall ,i go from thy ,spirit8 or whither shall ,i flee from thy presence8 ,if ,i ascend up into heaven1 thou art there3 if ,i make my bed in ,sheol1 behold1 thou art there4 ,if ,i take the wings of the morning1 and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea2 even there shall thy hand lead me1 and thy right hand shall hold me4 ,here we are told in the most explicit and unmistakable way that the ,spirit of ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit1 is everywhere2 that there is no place in heaven1 earth or hades whither we can go from ,his presence4 7#d7 ,eternity is also ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this we find in ,hebrews #i3ad1 where we read3 ,how much more shall the blood of ,christ1 who through the ,eternal ,spirit offered himself without blemish unto ,god1 cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living ,god8 ,here we find the words the ,eternal ,spirit just as elsewhere we find the words the ,eternal ,god 7e4g41 ,deut4 #cc3bg73 ,putting these different passages together1 we see clearly that each of the four distinctively divine attributes1 the four attributes that no one but ,god possesses1 are ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 #b4 ,the second line of proof of the true ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit is found in the fact that three distinctively divine works are ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit--that is to say1 the ,holy ,spirit is said to do three things which ,god alone can do4 7#a7 ,the first of these distinctively divine works that are ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit is the work which we always think of first when we think of ,god and ,his work--that is to say1 the work of creation4 ,we find creation ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit in ,job #cc3d3 ,the ,spirit of ,god hath made me1 and the breath of the ,almighty giveth me life4 ,we find the same thing implied in ,psalms #ajd3cj3 ,thou sendest forth thy ,spirit1 they are created2 and thou renewest the face of the ground4 ,in these two passages creation1 the most distinctively divine of all works1 is ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 7#b7 ,the impartation of life is ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this we find1 for example1 in ,john #f3fc3 ,it is the ,spirit that quickeneth2 the flesh profiteth nothing4 ,we find the same thing again in ,romans #h3aa3 ,but if the ,spirit of him that raised up ,jesus from the dead dwell in you1 ,he that raised up ,christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by ,his ,spirit that dwelleth in you4 ,in this passage we have not merely impartation of life to the spirit of man1 but the impartation of life to the body in the resurrection of the body ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,man's creation and the impartation of life to man are ascribed to the operation of the ,holy ,spirit in the first book in the ,bible1 where we read in ,genesis #b3g3 ,and ,jehovah ,god formed man of the dust of the ground1 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life2 and man became a living soul4 ,here we are told that man was created and became a living soul through ,god's breathing into him the breath of life4 ,this clearly implies that it was through the instrumentality of the ,holy ,spirit2 for the ,holy ,spirit is the breath of ,god going out in a personal way4 7#c7 ,the third divine work ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit is the authorship of divine prophecies4 ,we find this1 for example1 in ,,ii ,peter #a3ba3 ,for no prophecy ever came by the will of man3 but men spake from ,god1 being moved by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,here we are distinctly told that it was through the operation of the ,holy ,spirit that men were made the mouthpiece of ,god and uttered ,god's truth4 ,we find this same thought also in the ,old ,testament in ,,ii ,samuel #bc3b1 #c3 ,the ,spirit of ,jehovah spake by me1 and ,his word was upon my tongue4 ,the ,god of ,israel said1 the ,rock of ,israel spake to me4 ,in this passage1 also1 the authorship of ,god's prophecies is ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,taking these passages together1 we see that three distinctively divine works are ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit4 #c4 ,the third line of proof of the ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit is found in the fact that passages which refer to ,jehovah in the ,old ,testament are taken to refer to the ,holy ,spirit in the ,new ,testament4 ,there are numerous instances of this1 not as numerous as in the case of ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son1 and yet enough to make it perfectly clear that the ,holy ,spirit occupies the same place in ,new ,testament thought which ,jehovah occupies in ,old ,testament thought4 7#a7 ,a striking illustration of this is found in ,isaiah #f3h-aj2 cf4 ,acts #bh3be-bg4 ,in ,isaiah #f3h-aj1 we read3 ,and ,i heard the voice of the ,lord1 saying1 whom shall ,i send1 and who will go for us8 ,then ,i said1 here am ,i2 send me4 ,and he said1 go1 and tell this people1 hear ye indeed1 but understand not2 and see ye indeed1 but perceive not4 ,make the heart of this people fat1 and make their ears heavy1 and shut their eyes2 lest they see with their eyes1 and hear with their ears1 and understand with their heart1 and turn again1 and be healed4 ,here we are distinctly told it is the ,lord1 and the context shows that the ,lord is the ,lord ,jehovah who is speaking1 but when we turn to ,acts #bh3be-bg1 we read these words3 ,and when they agreed not among themselves1 they departed after that ,paul had spoken one word1 well spake the ,holy ,spirit through ,isaiah the prophet unto your fathers 7notice that in the passage in ,isaiah we are told it is the ,lord ,jehovah who spoke1 and here we are told by ,paul that it is the ,holy ,spirit who spake through the prophet71 saying1 go thou unto this people1 and say1 by hearing ye shall hear1 and shall in no wise understand2 and seeing ye shall see1 and shall in no wise perceive3 for this people's heart is waxed gross1 and their ears are dull of hearing1 and their eyes they have closed2 lest haply they should perceive with their eyes1 and hear with their ears1 and understand with their heart1 and should turn again1 and ,i should heal them4 ,in the one place1 the place in the ,old ,testament1 we are told that the ,lord ,jehovah is the speaker2 in the other place1 in the ,new ,testament1 we are told that the ,holy ,spirit is the speaker2 that is to say1 the ,holy ,spirit occupies the place in ,new ,testament thought that the ,lord ,jehovah occupies in ,old ,testament thought4 ,it is noticeable that this same passage in another place is applied to ,jesus ,christ 7,john #ab3ci-da74 ,may it not be that in the threefold ,holy in the seraphic cry recorded in this chapter in ,isaiah 7,isaiah #f3c7 we have a hint of the tri-personality of ,jehovah of ,hosts1 and hence the propriety of the threefold application of the vision8 7#b7 ,another illustration of a statement1 which in the ,old ,testament is given as referring to ,jehovah1 being applied to the ,holy ,spirit in the ,new ,testament1 is found by a comparison of ,exodus #af3g with ,hebrews #c3g-i4 ,in ,exodus #af3g we read3 ,and in the morning1 then shall ye see the glory of ,jehovah2 for that he heareth your murmurings against ,jehovah3 and what are we1 that ye murmur against us8 ,here we are told that the murmuring and provocation of the children of ,israel in the wilderness were against ,jehovah1 but in ,hebrews #c3g-i1 we read3 ,wherefore1 even as the ,holy ,spirit saith1 to-day if ye shall hear his voice1 harden not your hearts1 as in the provocation1 like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness1 where your fathers tried me by proving me1 and saw my works forty years4 ,in this ,new ,testament passage we are told that it was the ,holy ,spirit that they provoked in the wilderness1 making it clear that the ,holy ,spirit occupies here in ,new ,testament thought the position ,jehovah occupied in ,old ,testament thought in ,exodus #af3g4 ,to sum up the passages under this head1 we see that statements which in the ,old ,testament distinctly name the ,lord1 ,god or ,jehovah1 as their subject1 are applied to the ,holy ,spirit in the ,new ,testament4 ,that is to say1 the ,holy ,spirit occupies the position of ,deity in ,new ,testament thought4 #d4 ,the fourth way in which the ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit is clearly taught in the ,new ,testament is that the name of the ,holy ,spirit is coupled with that of ,god the ,father in a way that it would be impossible for a reverent and thoughtful mind to couple the name of any finite being with that of ,deity4 ,there are numerous illustrations of this4 ,three will answer for our present purpose4 7#a7 ,we read1 for example1 in ,i ,corinthians #ab3d-f3 ,now there are diversities of gifts1 but the same ,spirit4 ,and there are diversities of ministrations1 and the same ,lord4 ,and there are diversities of workings1 but the same ,god1 who worketh all things in all4 ,in this passage we see the name of the ,holy ,spirit coupled with that of ,god and of the ,lord in a way in which it would be impossible for an intelligent worshipper of ,god to couple the name of any finite being with that of the ,deity4 7#b7 ,we see the same thing again in ,matthew #bh3ai3 ,go ye therefore1 and make disciples of all the nations1 baptising them into the name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,if the ,holy ,spirit is not ,god1 it would be shocking to couple ,his name in this way with that of ,god1 the ,father1 and of the ,lord ,jesus1 ,his ,son4 7#c7 ,another striking illustration of this is found in ,,ii ,corinthians #ac3ad3 ,the grace of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and the love of ,god1 and the communion of the ,holy ,spirit1 be with you all4 ,here the name of the ,holy ,spirit is coupled on a ground of equality with that of the ,father and of the ,son4 ,in all these passages1 the name of the ,holy ,spirit is coupled with that of ,god in a way in which it would be impossible for a reverent1 thoughtful mind to couple the name of any finite being with that of ,deity4 #e4 ,the fifth and last1 and1 if possible1 more decisive way in which the ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit is taught in the ,bible is that the ,holy ,spirit in so many words is called ,god4 ,this we find in ,acts #e3c1 #d3 ,but ,peter said1 ,ananias1 why hath ,satan filled thy heart to lie to the ,holy ,spirit1 and to keep back part of the price of the land8 ,while it remained1 did it not remain thine own8 ,and after it was sold1 was it not in thy power8 ,how is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart8 ,thou hast not lied unto men1 but unto ,god4 ,in the third verse we are distinctly told that it was to the ,holy ,spirit to ,whom ,ananias lied1 and in the fourth verse we are told that it was to ,god that ,ananias lied4 ,putting the two statements together1 it is evident that the ,holy ,spirit is ,god4 ,to sum up all that we have said under the head of the ,deity of the ,holy ,spirit1 we see that by the ascription of all the distinctively divine attributes1 and several distinctively divine works1 by referring statements which in the ,old ,testament distinctly named ,jehovah1 the ,lord or ,god1 as their subject1 to the ,holy ,spirit in the ,new ,testament1 by coupling the name of the ,holy ,spirit with that of ,god in a way in which it would be impossible to couple the name of any finite being with that of ,deity1 by calling the ,holy ,spirit ,god1 in all these unmistakable ways ,god in ,his ,word distinctly proclaims that the ,holy ,spirit is a ,divine ,person4 ,it is absolutely impossible for any one to go to the ,bible to find out what it actually teaches1 and not merely to twist and distort it to fit into his own preconceived notions1 and come to any other conclusion but that the ,holy ,spirit is a ,divine ,person1 that ,he is ,god4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,distinction ,,between ,,the ,,father1 ,,the ,,son ,,and ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,but now we come to the question1 ,is the ,holy ,spirit a distinct personality from the ,father and from the ,son8 ,he might be a person1 as we have clearly seen that ,he is1 and ,he might be a divine person1 as we have just seen that ,he is1 and at the same time ,he might be only the same person who manifested ,himself at times as the ,father and at other times as the ,son1 and in that case there would not be three divine ,persons in the ,godhead1 but one divine ,person1 who variously manifested ,himself as ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit4 ,so the question that now confronts us is1 ,is the ,holy ,spirit a distinct personality separate and distinct from the ,father and from the ,son8 ,this question is plainly answered in various passages in the ,new ,testament4 #a4 ,we find this question answered in the first place in ,john #ad3bf and ,john #ae3bf4 ,in ,john #ad3bf we read3 ,but the ,comforter1 even the ,holy ,spirit1 whom the ,father will send in my name1 ,he shall teach you all things1 and bring to your remembrance all that ,i said unto you4 ,in ,john #ae3bf we read3 ,but when the ,comforter is come1 whom ,i will send unto you from the ,father1 even the ,spirit of ,truth1 which proceedeth from the ,father1 he shall bear witness of me4 ,in both of these passages we are told that the ,holy ,spirit is an entirely distinct personality from the ,father and the ,son1 that ,he is sent from the ,father by the ,son4 ,we are elsewhere taught that ,jesus ,christ was sent by the ,father 7,john #f3bi2 #h3bi1 #db74 ,it is as clear as language can make it in these passages that ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit are not one and the same ,person manifesting ,himself in three different forms1 but that they are three distinct personalities4 #b4 ,we find clear proof that the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit are three distinct personalities in ,john #af3ac1 where we read3 ,howbeit when ,he1 the ,spirit of ,truth1 is come1 he shall guide you into all the truth3 for ,he shall not speak from ,himself2 but what things soever ,he shall hear1 these shall ,he speak3 and ,he shall declare unto you the things that are to come4 ,in this passage the clearest possible distinction is drawn between the ,holy ,spirit who speaks and the ,one from whom ,he speaks1 and we are told in so many words that this ,one from whom ,he speaks is not ,himself1 but another4 #c4 ,in the next verse the same thought is brought out in still another way4 ,in this verse1 ,john #af3ad1 we read3 ,he shall glorify me3 for ,he shall take of mine1 and shall declare it unto you4 ,here the clearest distinction is drawn between ,he1 the ,holy ,spirit1 and ,me1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is the work of the ,holy ,spirit not to glorify ,himself1 but another1 and this ,other is ,jesus ,christ1 and ,he takes what belongs to another2 that is1 to ,christ1 and declares it unto believers4 ,it would be impossible to express in human language a distinction between two personalities more plainly than the distinction between the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost is expressed in this verse4 #d4 ,the distinction between the ,father and the ,son and the ,holy ,spirit is very clearly brought out in ,luke #c3ba1 #bb3 ,now it came to pass1 when all the people were baptised1 that1 ,jesus also having been baptised1 and praying1 the heaven was opened1 and the ,holy ,spirit descended in a bodily form1 as a dove1 upon him1 and a voice came out of heaven1 thou art my beloved ,son2 in thee ,i am well pleased4 ,here a clear distinction is drawn between ,jesus ,christ who was on the earth1 and the ,father who spake to ,him from heaven1 and the ,holy ,spirit who descended in bodily form as a dove from the ,father upon the ,son4 #e4 ,still another striking illustration is found in ,matthew #bh3ai3 ,go ye therefore1 and make disciples of all the nations1 baptising them into the name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,here a clear distinction is drawn between the name of the ,father1 and the name of the ,son1 and the name of the ,holy ,spirit4 #f4 ,a very striking setting forth of a clear distinction between the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit is found in ,john #ad3af1 #ag3 ,and ,i will pray the ,father1 and ,he shall give you another ,comforter that ,he may be with you for ever1 even the ,spirit of truth4 ,here the clearest possible distinction is drawn between the ,son who prays1 and the ,father to whom ,he prays1 and another ,comforter1 who is given in answer to ,his prayer4 ,nothing could possibly be plainer than the distinction that ,jesus ,christ draws in this passage between ,himself and the ,father and the ,holy ,spirit4 #g4 ,we find the same thing again in ,john #af3g3 ,nevertheless ,i tell you the truth3 it is expedient for you that ,i go away2 for if ,i go not away1 the ,comforter will not come unto you2 but if ,i go1 ,i will send ,him unto you4 ,here the ,lord ,jesus ,himself draws a clear distinction between ,himself1 who is about to go away1 and the ,holy ,spirit1 the other ,comforter who is coming to take ,his place after ,he has gone away4 #h4 ,the same thing is brought out again in ,peter's sermon on the day of ,pentecost in ,acts #b3cc1 where ,peter is recorded as saying3 ,being therefore by the right hand of ,god exalted1 and having received of the ,father the promise of the ,holy ,spirit1 ,he hath poured forth this1 which ye see and hear4 ,here a clear distinction is drawn between the ,son exalted to the right hand of the ,father1 and the ,father ,himself1 and the ,holy ,spirit whom the ,son receives from the ,father1 and sheds upon the ,church4 ,to sum up all under this head3 again and again the ,bible draws the clearest possible distinction between the ,holy ,spirit1 and the ,father1 and the ,son4 ,they are three separate personalities1 having mutual relations to one another1 acting upon one another1 speaking of or to one another1 applying the pronouns of the second and third persons to one another4 ,we have seen that the ,bible makes it plain that the ,holy ,spirit is a ,divine ,person and that ,he is an entirely separate personality from the ,father and from the ,son4 ,in other words1 that there are three divine ,persons in the ,godhead4 ,it has oftentimes been said that the doctrine of the ,trinity is not taught in the ,bible4 ,it is true that the doctrine of the ,trinity is not directly taught in the ,bible in so many words1 but the doctrine of the ,trinity is simply the putting together of truths that are clearly and unmistakably taught in the ,bible4 ,it is clearly taught in the ,bible that there is but one ,god 7,deuteronomy #f3d74 ,but it is taught with equal clearness1 as we have seen to-day1 that there are three ,divine ,persons1 the ,father1 the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost2 and the doctrine of the ,trinity is the putting together of these truths which are taught with equal plainness4 ,but1 some one may ask1 ,how can ,god be three and one at the same time8 ,the answer to this question is very simple and easily understandable4 ,he cannot be three in one in the same sense1 nor does the ,bible teach that ,he is4 ,but in what sense can ,he be one and three8 ,a perfectly satisfactory answer to this question is manifestly impossible from the very nature of the case--first1 because ,god is ,spirit and numbers belong primarily to the physical world1 and difficulty must always arise when we attempt to conceive of spiritual being in the forms of physical thought4 ,in the second place1 a perfectly satisfactory answer to the question is impossible because ,god is infinite and we are finite4 ,god dwells in the light that no man can approach unto1 and our attempts at a philosophical explanation of the ,trinity of ,god is an attempt to put the facts of infinite being into the forms of finite thought1 and of necessity such an attempt can at the very best be only partially successful4 ,this much we know1 that ,god is essentially one1 and also that there are three ,persons in this one ,godhead4 ,there is but one ,god1 but this one ,god makes ,himself known to us as three distinct ,persons--,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit4 ,there is one ,god1 eternally existing1 and manifesting ,himself in three ,persons--,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit4 ,if we were to go into the realm of philosophy1 it could be shown that from the very necessities of the case1 that if ,god were to be ,god1 there must be in the eternal ,godhead before the creation of finite beings a multiplicity of persons2 for otherwise ,god could not love1 for there would be no one to love1 and therefore ,god could not be ,god4 ,the ease with which one can grasp the ,unitarian conception of ,god is not in its favour but against it4 ,any god who could be thoroughly comprehended by a finite mind would not be an infinite ,god4 ,it would be impossible for a thoroughly intelligent mind to really worship a god whom he could thoroughly understand4 ,if ,god is to be really ,god1 ,he must be beyond our complete understanding4 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity is not merely a speculative doctrine4 ,it is a doctrine of tremendous daily practical importance4 ,it enters into the very warp and woof of our experience1 if our experience is a truly ,christian experience4 ,for example1 in our prayer we need ,god1 the ,father1 to ,whom we pray1 we need ,god1 the ,son1 through ,whom we pray1 and we need ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit1 in ,whom we pray4 ,so also in our worship we need ,god1 the ,father1 the very centre of our worship1 we need the ,son1 through ,whom we approach ,him in our worship1 and we need to worship by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,but all three--,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit--are the objects of our worship4 ,the long metre doxology is thoroughly ,christian in its worship when it sings3 ,praise ,god from whom all blessings flow1 ,praise ,him all creatures here below1 ,praise ,him above1 ye heavenly hosts1 ,praise ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost4 ,and so1 also1 is the ,gloria ,patri1 the words of which we so often sing1 but the thought of which we so seldom grasp3 ,glory be to the ,father1 and to the ,son1 and to the ,holy ,ghost1 as it was in the beginning1 is now1 and ever shall be1 world without end1 ,amen4 ,,viii ,,the ,,atonement3 ,,god',s ,,doctrine ,,of ,,the ,,atonement ,,vs4 ,,unitarian ,,and ,,christian ,,science ,,doctrines ,,of ,,the ,,atonement ,apart from the shedding of blood there is no remission4--,hebrews #i3bb4 ,our subject in this chapter is ,god's ,doctrine of the ,atonement vs4 the ,unitarian and ,christian ,science ,doctrines of the ,atonement4 ,one of the most fundamental1 central and vital doctrines of the ,christian faith is the ,christian doctrine of the ,atonement4 ,without the ,bible ,doctrine of the ,atonement you have no ,christianity1 but the ,devil's substitute for ,christianity4 ,without the ,bible ,doctrine of the ,atonement you have no real gospel1 but an utterly false and soul-destroying philosophy4 ,in speaking on the doctrine of the ,deity of ,christ ,i said3 ,if a man really holds to right views concerning the person of ,jesus ,christ he will sooner or later get right views on every other question1 but if he holds a wrong view concerning the person of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ he is pretty sure to go wrong on everything else sooner or later4 ,the same is true regarding the doctrine of the ,atonement3 ,if a man really holds to right views concerning the ,atonement made by our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ on the ,cross of ,calvary1 he will sooner or later get right on every other question2 but if he holds a wrong view regarding the ,atonement made by our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 he is pretty sure to go wrong on everything else sooner or later4 ,there is a great need in this day of teaching on this subject that is definite1 clear1 accurate1 exact1 complete2 because not only in ,unitarian and ,christian ,science circles1 but also in circles that are nominally orthodox1 in professedly ,christian colleges1 seminaries1 pulpits1 ,sunday ,school classes1 and religious papers1 magazines1 pamphlets1 books1 there is much teaching to-day that is vague1 inaccurate1 misleading1 unscriptural1 and oftentimes utterly false and devilish1 teaching that is essentially ,unitarian or ,eddyistic4 ,men and women use the old words with a new meaning2 so as to deceive1 if it were possible1 the very elect4 ,even the ,christian ,scientist will tell you he believes in the ,atonement1 and that ,mrs4 ,eddy taught the ,atonement4 ,but when you begin to ask direct and pointed questions regarding his belief and teaching you will find that by ,atonement he meant1 and that ,mrs4 ,eddy meant1 something utterly different from what you mean and what the ,bible teaches4 ,paul tells us that the ,devil camouflages as an angel of light 7,,ii ,cor4 #aa3ad71 but never has he done it more successfully and dangerously than in the teaching regarding the ,atonement which he has inspired in ,mrs4 ,eddy and in ,unitarian teachers1 and also in the teachers in many supposedly orthodox pulpits1 in many ,congregational pulpits1 in some ,methodist pulpits1 in many ,baptist pulpits1 and even in some ,presbyterian pulpits4 ,some years ago in teaching a ,bible class in ,minneapolis1 attended by people from all the churches1 ,i remarked incidentally that ,christian ,science denied the doctrine of the ,atonement through the shed blood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,a very intelligent lady1 a lady perfect in her manners1 came to me at the close of the class and said3 ,mr4 ,torrey1 you ought not to have said what you said to-day about ,christian ,science2 for you do not understand its teachings4 ,they do teach the ,atonement4 ,i replied3 ,i said that ,christian ,science denies the ,doctrine of the ,atonement through the shed blood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,do you believe that ,jesus ,christ bore your sins in ,his own body on the cross8 ,she answered3 ,i think ,christian ,science is a beautiful system of teaching4 ,i said3 ,that is not what ,i asked you4 ,do you believe that ,jesus ,christ bore your sins in ,his own body on the cross8 ,she replied3 ,christian ,science has done me a great deal of good4 ,that is not what ,i asked you4 ,do you believe that ,jesus ,christ bore your sins in ,his own body on the cross8 ,i think that ,jesus ,christ's life was the most beautiful life ever lived here on earth4 ,that is not what ,i asked you4 ,do you believe ,jesus ,christ bore your sins in ,his own body on the cross8 ,the ,christian ,scientists are lovely people4 ,that is not what ,i asked you4 ,do you believe that ,jesus ,christ bore your sins in ,his own body on the cross8 ,i believe in following the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,do you believe that ,jesus ,christ bore your sins in ,his own body on the cross8 ,oh1 she said1 that is a doctrinal question4 ,now1 ,i said1 you are yourself an illustration of the truth of the very thing ,i said4 ,you do not believe in the ,atonement through the shed blood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,christian ,scientist uses the word atonement1 but he means something entirely different from what the ,bible teaches regarding the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ4 ,so does the ,unitarian4 ,so do many of the ministers supposedly of orthodox denominations4 ,the pastor of a ,congregational church in this city said recently3 ,i have my own kind of religion2 it answers for me1 but ,i hope ,i have sense enough to see that it would not answer for everybody4 ,i imagine the ,salvation ,army captain preaching my kind of religious doctrine1 without a devil1 without a hell1 without an atonement of blood and recompense1 without an infallible ,bible--and ,i see his audience melting away like snow in the rain4 ,is his doctrine truer than mine1 or is mine truer than his8 ,why1 neither2 his is true for him and mine for me--that is all--each after his own kind4 ,now this may sound tolerant and lovely1 but it is utter nonsense4 ,any doctrine which is not true for everybody is not for anybody true1 and any doctrine which is true is true for everybody4 ,if a doctrine that leaves out an atonement of blood is not true for the ,salvation ,army--and it certainly is not--it is not true for anybody else4 ,truth is not relative2 it is absolute4 ,what is true is true1 and what is false is false4 ,so we come face to face with the question1 ,what does the ,bible teach on this great fundamental doctrine8 ,i4 ,,the ,,necessity ,,and ,,importance ,,of ,,his ,,death ,the first thing that the ,bible plainly teaches on this question is the absolute necessity and fundamental importance of the death of ,jesus ,christ1 the absolute necessity and fundamental importance of the shedding of ,his blood4 ,the tendency of our day in ,unitarian circles1 and in orthodox circles that have been leavened by the corrupting leaven of ,unitarianism1 is to minimise the importance of the death of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the tendency is to make ,his life and character1 ,his teaching and leadership1 the main thing4 ,christian ,science even goes so far as to deny the fact of ,his death4 ,to them ,his supposed death is an illusion1 it is only mortal thought1 but the ,bible puts the emphasis upon ,his atoning death4 #a4 ,the death of ,jesus ,christ is mentioned directly more than #age times in the ,new ,testament4 ,besides this there are very many prophetic and typical references to the death of ,jesus ,christ in the ,old ,testament4 ,when ,mr4 ,alexander and ,i were holding our meetings in the ,royal ,albert ,hall in ,london1 some one took away one of our hymn books and went through it and cut out every reference to the blood1 and then sent it back to me through the mail1 saying1 ,i have gone through your hymn book and cut out every reference to the blood4 ,these references to the blood are foolish4 ,now sing your hymns with the blood left out and there will be some sense in them4 ,if any of you should take your ,bible and go through it in that way and cut out of the ,new ,testament and the ,old ,testament every passage that referred to the death of ,christ1 or to ,his atoning blood1 you would have only a sadly torn and tattered ,bible left1 a ,bible without a heart and a ,gospel without saving power4 ,if ,i were a member of a church where the pastor said that he preached a system of religious doctrine1 without a devil1 without a hell1 without an atonement of blood and recompense1 without an infallible ,bible1 to use his own language1 he would see his audience melting away like snow in the rain as far as ,i was concerned4 ,i would either take my hat and get out of that church1 or else the pastor would take his hat and get out of the pulpit2 for ,i should know that he was not preaching ,god's pure1 saving gospel1 but the ,devil's poisonous substitute for the gospel4 #b4 ,not only are the references to the death of ,christ so numerous in ,old ,testament and ,new ,testament1 but we are taught distinctly in ,hebrews #b3ad that ,jesus ,christ became a man for the specific purpose of dying1 that ,he became a partaker of flesh and blood in order that ,he might die4 ,in this passage we read1 ,for as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood1 ,he also ,himself likewise took part of the same2 that through death ,he might destroy him that had the power of death1 that is the ,devil 7,heb4 #b3ad74 ,the meaning of these words is as plain as day4 ,they tell us that the incarnation was for the purpose of the death4 ,they tell us that ,jesus ,christ's death was not a mere accident or incident of ,his human life 7as many would have us believe71 but that it was the supreme purpose of it4 ,he became man in order that ,he might die as man and for man4 ,this is the doctrine of the ,bible1 and it is true for anybody and for everybody4 #c4 ,furthermore1 ,he died for a specific purpose1 as a ransom for us4 ,he ,himself said so4 ,in ,matt4 #bj3bh ,he says1 ,the ,son of man came not to be ministered unto1 but to minister1 and to give ,his life a ransom for many4 #d4 ,one of the most remarkable scenes recorded in the ,new ,testament is that of the transfiguration1 when ,moses and ,elijah came back from the other world to commune with ,jesus4 ,and what did they talk about in that great moment of human history8 ,luke tells us in the #ith chapter of his ,gospel1 the #cjth and #cast verses1 ,and behold1 there talked with ,him 7i4e41 with ,jesus7 two men1 which were ,moses and ,elijah3 who appeared in glory1 and spake of ,his decease which ,he was about to accomplish at ,jerusalem4 ,his atoning death was the one subject that engrossed the attention of these two who came back from the glory world4 ,we are also told in ,i ,peter #a3aj-ab that the death of ,jesus ,christ is a subject of intensest interest and earnest inquiry on the part of the angels4 #e4 ,the death of ,christ is the central theme of heaven's song4 ,rev4 #e3h-ab gives us a picture of heaven with its wonderful choir of ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands1 and this is the description of the song they sing3 ,and when he had taken the book1 the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the ,lamb1 having each one a harp1 and golden bowls full of incense1 which are the prayers of the saints4 ,and they sing a new song1 saying1 ,worthy art thou to take the book and to open the seals thereof3 for thou wast slain1 and didst purchase unto ,god with thy blood men of every tribe1 and tongue1 and people1 and nation1 and madest them to be unto our ,god a kingdom and priests2 and they reign upon the earth4 ,and ,i saw1 and ,i heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and elders2 and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand1 and thousands of thousands2 saying with a great voice1 ,worthy is the ,lamb that was slain to receive the power1 and riches1 and wisdom1 and might1 and honour1 and glory1 and blessing4 ,and every created thing which is in the heaven1 and on the earth1 and under the earth1 and on the sea1 and all things that are in them1 heard ,i saying1 ,unto him that sitteth on the throne1 and unto the ,lamb1 be the blessing1 and the honour1 and the glory1 and the dominion1 for ever and ever 7,rev4 #e3h-ab74 ,so it is evident that the great central theme of heaven's song is the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ1 and the shed blood by which ,he redeemed men of every tribe1 and tongue1 and nation4 ,if the ,unitarian or the ,christian ,scientist or the ,new ,theologian should get to heaven they would have no song to sing4 ,the glorious song of that wondrous choir would sound to him like a song of the shambles4 ,he would be very lonesome and feel that he had got into the wrong pew4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,purpose ,,of ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,so much for the fundamental and central importance of ,his death1 or of the shedding of ,his blood4 ,but what was the purpose of the shedding of ,his blood8 #a4 ,first of all1 the ,bible distinctly and repeatedly tells us by direct statement1 and by countless typical reference in the ,old ,testament1 that ,he died as a vicarious offering for sin2 that is1 that ,he1 an absolutely perfect1 righteous one1 who deserved to live1 died in the place of unjust men who deserved to die4 ,for example1 we read in ,isa4 #ec3e1 ,but ,he was wounded for our transgressions1 ,he was bruised for our iniquities2 the chastisement of our peace was upon ,him2 and with ,his stripes we are healed4 ,and in the eighth verse we read1 ,by oppression and judgment ,he was taken away2 and as for ,his generation1 who among them considered that ,he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due8 ,and in the #aath and #abth verses we read1 ,he shall see of the travail of ,his soul1 and shall be satisfied3 by the knowledge of ,himself shall my righteous servant justify many2 and ,he shall bear their iniquities4 ,therefore will ,i divide ,him a portion with the great1 and ,he shall divide the spoil with the strong2 because ,he poured out ,his soul unto death1 and was numbered with the transgressors3 yet ,he bare the sin of many4 ,and made intercession for the transgressors4 ,in ,i ,peter1 #c3ah we read1 ,christ also suffered for sins once1 the righteous for the unrighteous1 that ,he might bring us to ,god2 being put to death in the flesh1 but made alive in the spirit4 ,and in #a ,peter #b3bd we read1 ,who ,his own self bare our sins in ,his own body upon the tree1 that we1 having died unto sins1 might live unto righteousness2 by whose stripes ye were healed4 ,now the meaning of these verses and many other verses1 is inescapable4 ,they teach in language the meaning of which no one can misunderstand 7unless he is determined not to see7 that the death of ,jesus ,christ was a vicarious atonement1 that is1 a just one1 who deserved to live1 dying in the place of unjust ones who deserved to die4 ,it was1 to use the language of the ,los ,angeles minister who denied his belief in it1 an atonement of blood and recompense4 ,this is ,god's doctrine of the ,atonement versus the ,unitarian and ,christian ,science doctrine of the ,atonement4 #b4 ,but this is not all4 ,we are further taught that ,he died as a ransom1 that is1 ,his death was the price paid to redeem others from death4 ,he ,himself says so4 ,his own words are1 ,the ,son of man came not to be ministered unto1 but to minister1 and to give his life a ransom for many4 ,if ,his life was not a ransom1 that is to say1 if ,he did not redeem others from death by dying in their place1 then ,he was the greatest fool in the whole history of this universe4 ,was ,he a fool or was ,he a ransom8 ,no one who in any real sense can be said to believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ can hesitate as to his answer4 #c4 ,but even this is not all4 ,the ,bible distinctly tells us that ,he died as a sin offering1 i4e41 it was on the ground of ,his death1 and on this ground alone1 that forgiveness of sin is made possible for and offered to sinners4 ,this we are told in the #ecrd chapter of ,isaiah1 to which reference has already been made4 ,in the #ajth verse it is written1 ,yet it pleased ,jehovah to bruise him2 ,he 7i4e41 ,jehovah7 hath put him to grief 7literally1 made him sick73 when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin1 he shall see his seed1 he shall prolong his days1 and the pleasure of ,jehovah shall prosper in his hand4 ,now the meaning of offering for sin is unquestionable to any one who has studied the ,old ,testament offerings4 ,an offering for sin or a guilt offering1 which is the exact force of the ,hebrew word translated an offering for sin1 was a death of a sacrificial victim on the ground of which pardon was offered to sinners 7,lev4 #f3f-aj1 ,r4 ,v474 ,the ,holy ,spirit says expressly in ,heb4 #i3bb1 in words the meaning of which is unmistakable1 and the force of which is inescapable1 ,apart from shedding of blood there is no remission1 and the whole context in which the passage is found shows that the blood1 to which all the blood of the ,old ,testament types as sacrifices pointed forward1 was the blood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,so then the ,word of ,god declares that apart from the shedding of the blood of ,jesus ,christ there is absolutely no pardon for sin4 ,there is absolutely no forgiveness outside the atoning blood of ,christ4 ,without ,christ's atoning blood every member of the human race must have perished forever4 #d4 ,fourth and further yet1 the ,bible teaches that ,jesus ,christ died as a propitiation for our sins4 ,god the ,father gave ,christ the ,son to be a propitiation by ,his blood4 ,that is to say that ,jesus ,christ1 through the shedding of ,his blood1 is that by which ,god's holy wrath at sin is appeased4 ,we read in #a ,john #d3aj1 ,herein is love1 not that we loved ,god1 but that ,he loved us1 and sent ,his ,son to be the propitiation for our sins4 ,and we read in ,rom4 #c3be1 #bf1 ,whom ,god set forth to be a propitiation1 through faith1 in ,his blood1 to show ,his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime1 in the forbearance of ,god2 7#bf7 for the showing1 ,i say1 of ,his righteousness at this present season3 that ,he might ,himself be just1 and the justifier of ,him that hath faith in ,jesus4 ,the meaning of these words also is as plain as day4 ,the two ,greek words in these two passages are not exactly the same words 7hilasmos and hilasterion7 but are from the same root4 ,the word used in #a ,john #d3aj is hilasmos and the word used in ,rom4 #c3be is hilasterion4 ,the definition given of the first in ,thayer's ,dictionary of ,new ,testament ,greek1 the standard work1 is a means of appeasing4 ,the definition given in the same lexicon of the second word is an expiatory sacrifice4 ,so the thought that is in both passages is that the death of ,jesus ,christ was a propitiation1 an expiatory sacrifice1 the means of appeasing ,god's holy wrath at sin1 or in other words1 that ,jesus1 through the shedding of ,his blood1 is that by which the wrath of ,god against us as sinners is appeased4 ,god's holiness and consequent hatred of sin1 like every other attribute of ,his character1 is real and must manifest itself4 ,his wrath at sin must strike somewhere1 either on the sinner himself or upon a lawful substitute4 ,it struck upon ,jesus ,christ1 a lawful substitute4 ,as we read in ,isa4 #ec3f1 ,all we like sheep have gone astray2 we have turned every one to his own way2 and ,jehovah hath laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 ,the word translated hath laid1 according to the margin of the ,revised ,version1 means literally1 hath made to light4 ,more literally still it means1 hath made to strike4 ,reading it this way1 what ,god says is1 ,all we like sheep have gone astray2 we have turned every one to his own way2 and ,jehovah hath made to strike on him 7i4e41 on the ,lord ,jesus7 the iniquity of us all4 ,and in the eighth verse of the same chapter we are taught that the stroke due to others fell upon ,him1 and ,he was consequently cut off out of the land of the living4 ,the death of ,jesus ,christ has its first cause in the demands of ,god's holiness4 ,this is the ,bible doctrine versus the ,unitarian and ,christian ,science doctrine of atonement4 ,the doctrine is often misrepresented and caricatured as being that ,god1 a holy first person1 took the sins of man1 the guilty second person1 and put them on ,jesus ,christ1 an innocent third person1 and it is objected that this would not be just4 ,no2 this would not be just1 and it is not for a moment the doctrine of the ,bible1 for the ,bible clearly teaches that ,jesus ,christ was not a third person1 but was ,himself ,god1 and that ,he was ,himself man1 so ,he is not a third person at all1 but both the first person and the second person1 and the doctrine is that ,god ,himself1 the offended first person1 substitutes ,his atoning action whereby ,he expresses ,his hatred against sin1 for ,his punitive action whereby ,he would express the same thing2 that ,god1 instead of visiting the sins of the sinner upon the sinner1 takes the punishment upon ,himself4 ,this certainly is something more than just1 it is wondrous love4 #e4 ,further yet1 the ,bible teaches us that ,jesus ,christ died to redeem us from the curse of the law by bearing that curse ,himself4 ,we read in ,gal4 #c3aj1 ,as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse1 for it is written3 ,cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the ,book of the ,law1 to do them4 ,so then1 every one of us is under the curse of the broken law1 for not one of us has continued in all things that are written in the book of the law1 to do them4 ,but we read in the #acth verse1 ,christ redeemed us from the curse of the law1 having become a curse for us 7literally1 in our behalf73 for it is written1 ,cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree4 ,by ,his death by crucifixion ,he redeemed us from the curse which we deserved by taking that curse upon ,himself4 ,this certainly is an atonement of blood and recompense4 #f4 ,the ,bible puts essentially the same truth in still another form1 viz41 that ,jesus ,christ died as our ,passover sacrifice--that is1 that ,his shed blood might serve as a ground upon which ,god would pass over and spare us4 ,we read in #a ,cor4 #e3g1 ,for our passover also hath been sacrificed1 even ,christ4 ,now what a passover sacrifice was and signified we learn from ,ex4 #ab3ab1 #ac1 where our ,lord told the children of ,israel at the inauguration of the passover1 ,for ,i will go through the land of ,egypt in that night1 and will smite all the firstborn in the land of ,egypt1 both man and beast2 and against all the ,gods of ,egypt ,i will execute judgment3 ,i am ,jehovah1 and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are3 and when ,i see the blood1 ,i will pass over you1 and there shall be no plague upon you to destroy you1 when ,i smite the land of ,egypt4 ,and again we read in the #bcrd verse of the same chapter1 ,for ,jehovah will pass through to smite the ,egyptians2 and when ,he seeth the blood upon the lintel1 and on the two side-posts1 ,jehovah will pass over the door1 and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you4 ,paul wrote his words with all this in mind1 and in saying that ,christ is our ,passover sacrifice beyond a question he meant that the shed blood of ,jesus ,christ serves as a ground1 and the only ground1 upon which ,god passes over and spares us4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,results ,,of ,,the ,,atoning ,,death ,we have seen then the gracious and glorious purposes of the ,atoning ,death of ,jesus ,christ4 ,what are the results of that death8 ,they are even more glorious4 ,i can speak of them this morning only in part4 #a4 ,the first result of the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ is that a propitiation is provided for the whole world4 ,we read in #a ,john #b3b1 ,he is the propitiation for our sins2 and not for ours only1 but also for the whole world4 ,this plainly means that by the death of ,jesus ,christ a basis is provided upon which ,god can deal in mercy and does deal in mercy with the whole world4 ,all of ,god's dealings in mercy with any man are on the ground of ,christ's death4 ,only on the ground of ,christ's death could ,god deal in mercy with any man4 ,god's dealings in mercy with the rankest blasphemer or the most blatant atheist is on the ground of the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ4 #b4 ,in the second place through the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ all men obtain resurrection from the dead4 ,we read in ,rom4 #e3ah1 ,so then as through one trespass 7i4e41 the trespass of ,adam7 the judgment came unto all men to condemnation2 even so through one act of righteousness 7i4e41 through ,christ's righteous act in dying on the cross in obedience to the will of ,god7 the free gift came unto all men to justification of life4 ,and we are told in #a ,cor4 #ae3bb1 ,as in ,adam all die1 so also in ,christ shall all be made alive4 ,the ,apostle ,paul in the whole chapter is speaking about the resurrection of the body1 not about eternal life1 and he here distinctly teaches that as every child of ,adam loses life 7physical life--see ,gen4 #c3ai7 in the first ,adam1 so also in ,jesus ,christ1 the second ,adam1 he obtains resurrection from the dead1 through the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ4 ,every man1 the rankest infidel as well as the most devout believer1 will some day be raised from the dead because ,christ died in his place4 ,whether the resurrection which he obtains through the death of ,jesus ,christ shall be a resurrection of life or a resurrection of condemnation1 shame and everlasting contempt 7,john #e3bh1 #bi2 ,dan4 #ab3b7 depends entirely upon what attitude the individual takes toward the ,christ in whom he gets the resurrection4 #c4 ,by the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ all believers in ,jesus ,christ have forgiveness of all their sins4 ,we read in ,eph4 #a3g1 ,in whom 7i4e41 in ,jesus ,christ7 we have our redemption through ,his blood1 the forgiveness of our trespasses1 according to the riches of ,his grace4 ,because ,jesus ,christ died as a full satisfaction for our sins1 forgiveness of sin is not something which believers are to do something to secure1 it is something which the blood of ,jesus ,christ has already secured and which our faith has already appropriated to ourselves2 we have forgiveness1 we are forgiven4 ,every believer in ,jesus ,christ is forgiven every sin he ever committed or ever shall commit1 because ,jesus ,christ shed ,his blood in his place4 ,through ,christ's atoning death all believers in ,him1 although they once were enemies1 are now reconciled to ,god by the death of ,his ,son4 ,as we read in ,rom4 #e3aj1 ,while we were enemies1 we were reconciled to ,god through the death of ,his ,son4 ,that is to say1 the enmity between ,god and the sinner is done away with1 or1 as ,paul puts it in ,col4 #a3bj1 ,christ has made peace through the blood of ,his cross1 or1 as he puts it in the next verse but one1 ,col4 #a3bb1 ,christ hath reconciled believers in the body of ,his flesh through death4 ,the story is told of a faithful vicar in ,england who was told that one of his parishioners was dying4 ,she was a good woman1 but he hurried to her side to talk with her4 ,as he sat down by the side of the dying woman he said to her very gently but solemnly1 ,they tell me you have not long to live4 ,no1 she replied1 ,i know ,i have not4 ,they tell me you will probably not live through the night4 ,no1 she replied1 ,i do not expect to live through the night4 ,then he said very earnestly1 ,have you made your peace with ,god8 ,she replied1 ,no1 ,i have not4 ,and are you not afraid to meet ,god without having made your peace with ,him8 ,no1 not at all1 she calmly replied4 ,again he said to her1 ,do you understand what ,i am saying8 ,do you realise that you are at the point of death8 ,yes4 ,do you realise you will probably not live through the night8 ,yes4 ,and you have not made your peace with ,god8 ,no4 ,and you are not afraid to meet ,god8 ,no1 not at all4 ,there was something about the woman's manner that made him feel there was something back of her words1 and he said to her1 ,what do you mean8 ,she replied1 ,i know ,i am dying4 ,i know ,i am very near death4 ,i know ,i shall not live through the night4 ,i know ,i must soon meet ,god1 and ,i am not at all disturbed1 for ,i know that ,i did not need to make my peace with ,god1 because ,jesus ,christ made peace with ,god for me more than eighteen hundred years ago by ,his death on the cross of ,calvary1 and ,i am resting in the peace that ,jesus ,christ has already made4 ,the woman was right3 no man needs to make his peace with ,god1 ,jesus ,christ has already made peace by ,his atoning death1 and all we have to do is to enter into the peace which ,jesus ,christ has made for us1 and we enter into that peace by simply believing in the ,one who made peace by ,his death upon the cross4 ,jesus ,christ's work was a complete and perfect work4 ,there is nothing to be added to it4 ,we cannot add anything to it1 and we do not need to add anything to it4 ,jesus ,christ has made peace through the blood of ,his cross4 #d4 ,the fourth result of the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ is that because of the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ all believers in ,him are justified4 ,we read in ,rom4 #e3i1 ,being now justified by ,his blood4 ,justification is more than forgiveness4 ,forgiveness is negative1 the putting away of our sins1 manifested in ,god's treating us as if we never had sinned4 ,justification is positive1 the reckoning of us positively righteous1 the imputing to us the perfect righteousness of ,god in ,jesus ,christ1 not merely the treating us as if we had never sinned1 but the reckoning us clothed upon with perfect righteousness4 ,by reason of ,jesus ,christ's atoning death there is an absolute interchange of position between ,jesus ,christ and ,his people4 ,in ,his death upon the cross ,jesus ,christ took our place of condemnation before ,god1 and the moment we accept ,him we step into ,his place of perfect acceptance before ,god4 ,as ,paul puts it in #b ,cor4 #e3ba1 ,him who knew no sin ,he made to be sin on our behalf2 that we might become the righteousness of ,god in ,him4 ,jesus ,christ stepped into our place in the curse and rejection1 and the moment we accept ,him we step into ,his place of perfect acceptance1 or as it has been expressed by another3 ,near1 so very near to ,god1 ,nearer ,i cannot be2 ,for in the person of ,his ,son1 ,i'm just as near as ,he4 ,dear1 so very dear to ,god1 ,dearer ,i cannot be2 ,for in the person of ,his ,son1 ,i'm just as dear as ,he4 #e4 ,furthermore1 because of the full atonement that ,jesus ,christ has made by the shedding of ,his blood1 by ,his atoning death on the cross1 every believer in ,him can enter boldly into the holy place1 into the very presence of ,god4 ,as it is put in ,heb4 #aj3ai1 #bj1 ,having therefore1 brethren1 boldness to enter into the holy place 7i4e41 into the very presence of ,god7 by the blood of ,jesus1 by the way which ,he dedicated for us1 a new and living way1 through the veil1 that is to say1 ,his flesh2 and having a great priest over the house of ,god2 let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith4 ,oh1 how some of us hesitate to come into the presence of ,god when we think of the greatness and the number of our sins1 and when we think how holy ,god is1 how the very seraphim 7the burning ones1 burning in their own intense holiness7 veil their faces and feet in ,his presence and unceasingly cry ,holy1 holy1 holy1 is ,jehovah of ,hosts 7,isa4 #f3b1 #c74 ,god is ,holy1 we think4 ,yes4 ,and ,i am a sinner4 ,yes4 ,but by the wondrous offering of ,christ once for all ,i am perfected forever1 and on the ground of that blood so precious and so sufficient unto ,god1 ,i can march boldly into the very presence of ,god1 look up with unveiled face into ,his face and call ,him ,father1 and pour out before ,him every desire of my heart4 ,oh1 wondrous blood6 #f4 ,but this is not all4 ,because of the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ those who believe in ,him shall ever live with ,him4 ,how plainly ,paul puts it in #a ,thess4 #e3aj1 ,who died for us1 that1 whether we wake or sleep1 7i4e41 at ,his coming71 we should live together with ,him4 #g4 ,further yet1 because of the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ1 all those who believe on ,him receive the promise of the eternal inheritance4 ,this is what we are told in ,heb4 #i3ae1 ,and for this cause ,he is the mediator of a new covenant1 that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant1 they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance4 ,i wish ,i had time to dwell upon that4 #h4 ,there are other results of the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ as regards the ,devil and his angels1 into which we have no time to go4 ,just one more thing as regards the results of the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ as it relates to the material universe4 ,god teaches us that through the death of ,jesus ,christ the material universe--all things1 whether they be things in earth1 or things in heaven--is reconciled unto ,god4 ,these are ,his words1 ,for it was the good pleasure of the ,father that in ,him 7i4e41 in ,jesus ,christ7 should all the fullness dwell and1 having made peace through the blood of ,his cross1 by ,him to reconcile all things unto ,himself2 by ,him1 ,i say1 whether they be things in earth1 or things in ,heaven 7,col4 #a3ai1 #bj74 ,these are wonderful words4 ,they tell us that the death of ,jesus ,christ has a relation to the material universe1 to things on earth and to things in heaven1 as well as to us and our sins4 ,the material universe has fallen away from ,god in connection with sin 7,rom4 #h3bj1 ,r4 ,v42 ,gen4 #c3ah74 ,not only earth but heaven has been invaded and polluted by sin 7,eph4 #f3ab1 ,r4 ,v42 ,heb4 #i3bc1 #bd74 ,through the death of ,jesus ,christ this pollution is put away4 ,just as the blood of the ,old ,testament sacrifice was taken into the most holy place1 the type of heaven1 so ,christ has taken the blood of the better sacrifice into heaven itself and cleansed it4 ,all things 4 4 4 whether they be things in earth or things in heaven are now reconciled to ,god4 ,the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of ,god 7,rom4 #h3ba74 ,we look for new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness 7#b ,peter #c3ac74 ,the atonement of ,jesus ,christ has an immense sweep--far beyond the reach of our human philosophies4 ,we have just begun to understand what the blood that was spilled on ,calvary means4 ,sin is a far more awful1 ruinous1 and far-reaching evil than we have been wont to think1 but the blood of ,christ has a power and efficiency1 the fullness of which only eternity will disclose4 ,,ix ,,the ,,distinctive ,,doctrine ,,of ,,protestantism3 ,,justification ,,by ,,faith ,be it known unto you therefore1 brethren1 that through this man is proclaimed unto you1 remission of sins3 and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things1 from which he could not be justified by the law of ,moses4--,acts #ac3ch1 #ci4 ,but to him that worketh not1 but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly1 his faith is reckoned for righteousness4--,rom4 #d3e4 ,these are two remarkable passages and this chapter will be occupied with an exposition of them4 ,our subject this morning is1 ,the ,distinctive ,doctrine of ,protestantism3 ,justification by ,faith4 ,the doctrine of ,justification by ,faith was the doctrine that made the ,reformation4 ,it is to-day one of the cardinal doctrines of the ,evangelical ,faith4 ,this doctrine1 though first fully expounded and constantly emphasised by ,paul1 runs throughout the entire ,bible from ,genesis to ,revelation4 ,it is in the first book of the ,bible1 the book of ,genesis1 that we read1 ,abraham believed in the ,lord2 and he counted it to him for righteousness4 7,gen4 #ae3f47 ,in these words in the very first book in the ,bible we have the germ of the whole gracious and precious doctrine of ,justification by ,faith4 ,i4 ,,what ,,is ,,justification8 ,the first thing for us to understand clearly is just what justification is4 ,it is at this point that many go astray in their study of this great truth4 ,there are two fundamentally different definitions of the meaning of the words justify and justification4 ,the one definition of ,justify is1 to make righteous1 and of ,justification1 the being made righteous4 ,the other definition of justify is1 to reckon1 declare1 or show to be righteous1 and of justification1 the being declared or reckoned righteous4 ,on these two different definitions two different schools of thought depart from one another4 ,which is the true definition8 ,the way to settle the meaning of any word in the ,bible is by an examination of all the passages in which that word and its derivatives is found4 ,if any one will go through the ,bible1 the ,old ,testament and the ,new1 and carefully study all the passages in which the word justify and its derivatives is found1 he will discover that beyond a question1 in ,biblical usage1 to justify means1 not to make righteous1 but to reckon righteousness1 declare righteous1 or show to be righteous4 ,a man is justified before ,god when ,god reckons him righteous4 ,this appears1 for example1 in the fourth chapter of ,romans1 #bnd to #hth verses1 ,r4 ,v4 ,for if ,abraham was justified by works1 he hath whereof to glory2 but not toward ,god4 ,for what saith the scripture8 ,and ,abraham believed ,god and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness4 ,now to him that worketh1 the reward is not reckoned as of grace1 but as of debt4 ,but to him that worketh not1 but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly1 his faith is reckoned for righteousness even as ,david also pronounced blessing upon the man unto whom ,god reckoneth righteousness apart from works1 saying1 blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven1 and whose sins are covered1 blessed is the man to whom the ,lord will not reckon sin4 ,it is plain from this passage1 as from many other passages1 that a man is justified when ,god reckons him righteous1 no matter what his principles of character and of conduct may have been4 ,we shall see later that justification means more than mere forgiveness4 ,,ii4 ,,how ,,are ,,men ,,justified8 ,we come now to the second question1 and the all-important question1 ,how are men justified8 ,in general there are two opposing views of justification3 one that men are justified by their own works1 i4e41 on the ground of something which they do themselves4 ,this view may be variously expressed4 ,the good works that men speak of as a ground of their justification may be their good moral conduct1 or their keeping the ,golden ,rule1 or something of that sort4 ,or they may be works of religion1 such as doing penance1 saying prayers1 joining the church1 going to church1 being baptised1 or partaking of the ,lord's ,supper1 or the performance of some other religious duties4 ,but these all amount to the same thing3 it is something that we ourselves do that brings justification1 some works of our own1 some works that we do1 are taken as the ground of our justification4 ,the other view of justification is that we are justified1 not by our own works in any sense1 but entirely by the work of another1 i4e41 by the atoning death of ,jesus ,christ on the cross of ,calvary1 that our own works have nothing to do with our justification1 but that we are justified entirely by ,christ's finished and complete work of atonement1 by ,his death for us on the ,cross1 and that all that we have to do with our justification is merely to appropriate it to ourselves by simply trusting in ,him who made the atonement4 ,which is the correct view8 ,we shall go directly to the ,bible for the answer to this all-important question4 #a4 ,the first part of the answer we will find in ,rom4 #c3bj1 ,therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight3 for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin4 ,it is here very plainly stated that we are not justified by keeping the law of ,god1 either the ,mosaic law or any other law1 and that the law is given1 not to bring us justification1 but to bring us a knowledge of sin1 i4e41 to bring us to the realisation of our need of justification by grace4 ,it is plainly stated here that no man is justified by works of the law4 ,the same great truth is found in ,gal4 #b3af3 ,knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law1 save through faith in ,jesus ,christ1 even we believed on ,christ ,jesus1 that we might be justified by faith in ,christ1 and not by the works of the law3 for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified4 ,justification by any works of our own is an impossibility4 ,it is an impossibility because to be justified by works of the law1 or by anything we can do1 we must perfectly keep the law of ,god4 ,the law demands perfect obedience as a ground of justification4 ,it says1 ,cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them4 7,gal4 #c3aj474 ,but not one of us has perfectly kept the law of ,god1 and the moment we break the law of ,god at any point1 justification by works becomes an absolute impossibility4 ,so as far as the law of ,god is concerned1 every one of us is under the curse1 and if we are justified at all we must find some other way of justification than by keeping the law of ,god4 ,god did not give man the law with the expectation or intention that he would keep it and be justified thereby4 ,he gave them the law to produce conviction of sin1 to stop men's mouths1 and to lead them to ,christ4 ,or1 as ,paul puts it in ,rom4 #c3ai1 #bj1 ,now ye know that what things soever the law saith1 it speaketh to them that are under the law2 that every mouth may be stopped1 and all the world may be brought under the judgment of ,god3 because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight3 for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin4 ,as plain as these words of ,god are1 strangely enough there are many to-day who are preaching the law as a way of salvation4 ,but when they so preach they are preaching another way of salvation than that laid down in ,god's own word4 #b4 ,the second part of the answer to the question as to how we are justified we find in ,rom4 #c3bd4 ,being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the word translated freely in this passage means1 as a free gift1 and the verse tells us that men are justified as a free gift by ,god's grace 7i4e41 ,god's unmerited favour7 through 7i4e41 on the ground of7 the redemption that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,in other words1 justification is not on the ground of any desert there is in us1 not on the ground of anything that we have done1 we are not justified by our own doing nor by our own character4 ,justification is a free gift that ,god bestows absolutely without pay4 ,the channel through which this free gift is bestowed is the redemption that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,we shall see later that this means through the purchase price that ,christ paid for our redemption1 i4e41 the shedding of ,his blood on the cross of ,calvary4 #c4 ,this leads us to the third part of the answer to the question1 how men are justified4 ,we find this third part of the answer in ,rom4 #e3i1 ,much more then1 being now justified by his blood1 shall we be saved from the wrath of ,god through ,him4 ,here we are told in so many words that we are justified1 or counted righteous by1 or more literally1 in1 ,christ's blood1 i4e41 on the ground of ,christ's propitiatory death4 ,we were all under the curse of the broken law of ,god1 for we had all broken it1 but by dying in our stead on the cross of ,calvary our ,lord ,jesus ,christ redeemed us from the curse of the law1 having become a curse for us2 for it is written1 cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree4 7,gal4 #c3ac47 ,or1 as ,peter puts it in #a ,pet4 #b3bd1 ,who his own self bare our sins in his own body upon the tree4 ,or as ,paul puts it again in #b ,cor4 #e3ba1 ,him who knew no sin he 7,god7 made to be sin on our behalf2 that we might become the righteousness of ,god in ,him4 ,we shall have occasion to come back to this passage later4 ,all that ,i wish you to notice in it at this time is that it is on the ground of ,jesus ,christ becoming a substitute for us1 on the ground of ,his taking the place we deserved2 on the cross1 that we are reckoned righteous4 ,,the ,,one ,,and ,,only ,,ground ,,of ,,justification ,,is ,,the ,,shed ,,blood ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ4 ,of course1 this doctrine is entirely different from the teaching of ,christian ,science1 and entirely different from the teaching of much that is called ,new ,theology1 and entirely different from the teaching of ,new ,thought and ,theosophy1 and entirely different from the teaching of ,unitarianism1 but it is the teaching of the ,word of ,god4 ,we find this same teaching clearly given by the prophet ,isaiah seven hundred years before our ,lord was born1 in ,isaiah #ec3f1 where he says1 ,all we like sheep have gone astray2 we have turned every one to his own way1 and the ,lord hath laid 7literally1 made to strike7 on him 7i4e41 on the ,lord ,jesus7 the iniquity of us all4 ,get this point clearly settled in your mind1 that the sole but all-sufficient ground upon which men are justified before ,god is the shed blood of ,jesus ,christ1 offered by ,jesus ,christ as an atonement for our sins and accepted by ,god the ,father as an all-sufficient atonement4 #d4 ,the fourth part of the answer to the question how men are justified we find in ,rom4 #c3bf1 ,for the showing1 ,i say1 of his 7i4e41 ,god's7 righteousness at this present season3 that he 7i4e41 ,god7 might himself be just1 and the justifier of him that hath faith in ,jesus4 ,here we are taught that men are justified on the condition of faith in ,jesus4 ,if possible1 ,rom4 #d3e makes this even more plain1 ,but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly1 his faith is reckoned for righteousness4 ,here the ,holy ,spirit1 speaking through the ,apostle ,paul1 tells us that to those who believe in ,jesus their faith is counted for righteousness4 ,in other words1 faith makes ours the shed blood which is the ground of justification1 and we are justified when we believe4 ,all men are potentially justified by the death of ,christ on the cross1 but believers are actually justified by appropriating to themselves what there is of justifying value in the shed blood of ,christ by simple faith in ,him4 ,in other words1 the shed blood of ,christ is the sole and all-sufficient ground of justification3 simple faith in ,jesus ,christ who shed the blood is the sole condition of justification4 ,god asks nothing else of the sinner than that he should believe on ,his ,son1 ,jesus ,christ1 and when he does thus believe he is justified4 ,when we believe we are justified1 whether we have any works to offer or not2 or1 as ,paul puts it in ,rom4 #c3bh1 ,we reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law4 ,or1 as it is put in the verse already quoted1 ,rom4 #d3e1 ,but to him that worketh not1 but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly1 his faith is reckoned for righteousness4 ,a man is justified entirely apart from works of the law1 i4e41 he is justified on condition that he believes on ,jesus ,christ1 even though he has no works to offer as the ground upon which to claim justification4 ,when we cease to work for justification and simply believe on ,him who justifieth the ungodly1 that faith is reckoned to us for righteousness1 and therefore we are counted righteous4 ,the question then is not1 have you any works to offer1 but do you believe on ,him who justifies the ungodly4 ,works have nothing to do with justification except to hinder it when we trust in them4 ,the blood of ,jesus ,christ secures it1 faith in ,jesus ,christ appropriates it4 ,we are justified not by our works1 but by ,his work4 ,we are justified upon the simple and single ground of ,his shed blood and upon the simple and single condition of our faith in ,him ,who shed the blood4 ,so great is the pride of the natural heart that it is exceedingly difficult to hold men to this doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works of law4 ,we are constantly seeking to bring in our works somewhere4 #e4 ,but we have not as yet completely answered the question of how men are justified4 ,there is another side to the truth and if our doctrine of justification is to be complete and well-balanced1 we must look at that other side4 ,you will find part of this other side in ,rom4 #aj3h1 #aj1 ,if thou shalt confess with thy mouth ,jesus as ,lord1 and shalt believe in thy heart that ,god raised him from the dead1 thou shalt be saved2 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness2 and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation4 ,god here tells us that the faith that appropriates justification is a faith with the heart1 i4e41 a faith that is not a mere notion1 or opinion1 but a faith that leads to action along the line of that faith1 and it is therefore a faith that leads to open confession with the mouth1 of ,jesus as our ,lord4 ,if some one has some kind of faith1 or what he calls faith1 that does not lead him to an open confession of ,christ1 he has a faith that does not justify2 for it is not a faith with the heart4 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself tells us that heart faith leads to open confession2 for ,he says in ,matt4 #ab3cd1 ,out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh4 ,faith in ,jesus ,christ in the heart leads inevitably to a confession of ,jesus as ,lord with the mouth1 and if you are not confessing ,jesus as your ,lord with your mouth you have not justifying faith and you are not justified4 #f4 ,the rest of the other side of the truth about being justified by faith1 you will find in ,jas4 #b3ad1 #ah-bd1 ,r4 ,v4 ,what doth it profit1 my brethren1 if a man say he hath faith but have not works8 ,can that faith save him8 ,we see here that a faith that a man merely says he has1 but that does not lead to works along the line of that which he claims to believe1 cannot justify1 but to go on1 verses #ah-bd1 ,yea1 a man will say1 thou hast faith1 and ,i have works1 show me thy faith apart from thy works1 and ,i by my works will show thee my faith4 ,thou believest that ,god is one2 thou doest well3 the devils also believe and shudder4 ,but wilt thou know1 ,o vain man1 that faith apart from works is barren8 ,was not ,abraham our father justified by works1 in that he offered up ,isaac his son1 upon the altar8 ,thou seest that faith wrought with his works1 and by works was faith made perfect 7i4e41 in the works to which ,abraham's faith led1 faith had its perfect manifestation72 and the scripture was fulfilled which saith1 and ,abraham believed ,god1 and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness2 and he was called the friend of ,god4 ,ye see that by works a man is justified1 and not only by faith4 ,some see in these words a contradiction between the teaching of ,james and the teaching of ,paul1 but there is no contradiction whatever4 ,but ,james here teaches us an important truth1 namely1 that the faith that one says he has1 but which does not manifest itself in action along the line of the faith professed1 will not justify4 ,the faith that justifies is real faith that leads to action accordant with the truth we profess to believe4 ,it is true that we are justified simply upon faith apart from the works of the law1 but it must be a real faith1 otherwise it does not justify4 ,as some one has put it1 ,we are justified by faith without works1 but we are not justified by a faith that is without works4 ,the faith which ,god sees and upon which ,he justifies1 leads inevitably to works which men can see4 ,god saw the faith of ,abraham the moment ,abraham believed1 and before there was any opportunity to work1 and counted that faith to ,abraham for righteousness4 ,but the faith that ,god saw was a real faith and led ,abraham to works that all could see1 and these works proved the reality of his faith4 ,the proof to us of the faith is the works1 and we know that he that does not work has not justifying faith4 ,we must not lose sight on the one side of the truth which ,paul emphasises against legalism1 namely1 that we are justified on the single and simple condition of a real faith in ,christ2 but on the other side we must not lose sight of the truth which ,james emphasises against antinomianism1 namely1 that it is only a real faith that proves its genuineness by works1 that justifies4 ,to the legalist who is seeking to do something to merit justification we must say1 ,stop working and believe on ,him that justifieth the ungodly 7,rom4 #d3e74 ,to the antinomian1 i4e41 to the one who thinks he can live a lawless1 careless1 unseparated1 sinful life and still be justified1 the one who boasts that he has faith and is justified by it1 but who does not show his faith by his works1 we must say1 ,what doth it profit1 if a man say he have faith1 but have not works8 ,can that faith save him8 7,jas4 #b3ad1 ,r4 ,v47 ,we are justified by faith alone1 but we are not justified by a faith that is alone1 but a faith that is accompanied by works4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,extent ,,of ,,justification ,i think we have made it plain just how one is justified1 and now we come to another question and that is1 the extent of justification4 ,to what extent is a man who believes in the ,lord ,jesus justified8 ,this question is very plainly answered and wonderfully answered1 and gloriously answered in ,acts #ac3ch1 #ci1 ,be it known unto you therefore1 brethren1 that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins3 and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things1 from which he could not be justified by the law of ,moses4 ,these words very plainly declare to us that every believer in ,jesus ,christ is justified from all things4 ,in other words1 the old account against the believer is all wiped out4 ,no matter how bad and how black the account is1 the moment a man believes in ,jesus ,christ1 the account is wiped out4 ,god has absolutely nothing which ,he reckons against the one who believes in ,jesus ,christ4 ,even though he is still a very imperfect believer1 a very young man and immature ,christian1 he is perfectly justified4 ,as ,paul puts it in ,rom4 #h3a1 ,there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in ,christ ,jesus4 ,or1 as he puts it further down in the chapter1 verses #cc1 #cd1 ,who shall lay anything to the charge of ,god's elect8 ,it is ,god that justifieth2 who is he that shall condemn8 ,it is ,christ ,jesus that died1 yea rather1 that was raised from the dead1 who is at the right hand of ,god1 who also maketh intercession for us4 ,if the vilest murderer or sinner of any kind on earth should come in here this morning and right here now1 hearing the gospel of ,god's grace1 should believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 put confidence in ,him as his ,saviour1 and accept ,him as such1 surrendering to ,him and confessing ,him as ,his ,lord1 the moment he did it every sin he ever committed would be blotted out and his record would be as white in ,god's sight as that of the purest angel in heaven4 ,god has absolutely nothing that ,he reckons against the believer in ,jesus ,christ4 ,but even that is not all4 ,paul goes even beyond this in #b ,cor4 #e3ba1 ,he who knew no sin he 7,god7 made to be sin on our behalf2 that we might become the righteousness of ,god in him4 ,here we are explicitly told that the believer in ,jesus ,christ is made the righteousness of ,god in ,christ4 ,in ,phil4 #c3i1 ,r4 ,v4 we are told that when one is in ,christ he has a righteousness not of his own1 but a righteousness which is of ,god upon faith4 ,in other words1 there is an absolute interchange of positions between ,christ and the justified believer4 ,christ took our place1 the place of the curse on the cross 7,gal4 #c3ac74 ,he was made to be sin on our behalf 7#b ,cor4 #e3ba74 ,god reckoned ,him a sinner and dealt with ,him as a sinner1 so that in the sinner's place1 as ,he died1 ,he cried1 ,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me8 ,and when we are justified we step into ,his place1 the place of perfect acceptance before ,god1 or to use the exact words of ,scripture1 we ,become the righteousness of ,god in him4 ,to be justified is more than to be forgiven6 ,forgiveness is negative1 the putting away of sin2 ,justification is positive1 the reckoning of positive and perfect righteousness to the one justified4 ,jesus ,christ is so united to the believer in ,him that ,god reckons our sins to ,him4 ,the believer1 on the other hand1 is so united to ,christ that ,god reckons ,his righteousness to us4 ,god sees us1 not as we are in ourselves1 but as we are in ,him and reckons us as righteous as ,he is4 ,when ,christ's work in us is completed we shall be in actual fact what we are already in ,god's reckoning1 but the moment one believes1 as far as ,god's reckoning is concerned1 he is as absolutely perfect as he ever shall be4 ,our present standing before ,god is absolutely perfect1 though our present state may be very imperfect4 ,to use again the familiar couplet3 ,near1 so very near to ,god1 ,nearer ,i cannot be2 ,for in the person of ,his ,son1 ,i am just as near as ,he4 ,dear1 so very dear to ,god1 ,dearer ,i cannot be2 ,for in the person of ,his ,son1 ,i am just as dear as ,he4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,justification ,there remains one question still to consider1 though we have really answered it in what has already been said1 and that is1 the time of justification1 or when a believer is justified4 ,when is a believer justified8 ,this question is answered plainly in one of our texts1 ,acts #ac3ci1 ,and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things1 from which he could not be justified by the law of ,moses4 ,what ,i wish you to notice particularly now in this verse is the word ,is1 ,everyone that believeth is justified from all things4 ,this answers plainly the question as to when a believer is justified4 ,in ,christ ,jesus every believer in ,him is justified from all things the moment he believes4 ,the moment a man believes in ,jesus ,christ that moment he becomes united to ,christ1 and that moment ,god reckons the righteousness of ,god to him4 ,i repeat again1 if the vilest murderer or sinner of any kind in the world should come into this room this morning while ,i am preaching and should here and now believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the moment that he did it1 not only would every sin he ever committed be blotted out1 but all the perfect righteousness of ,god in ,christ would be put to his account1 and his standing before ,god would be as perfect as it will be when he has been in heaven ten million years4 ,let me repeat to you again the incident ,i told you one ,sunday night some weeks ago4 ,i was preaching one ,sunday morning in the ,moody church in ,chicago on ,rom4 #h3a1 ,there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in ,christ ,jesus1 and in the course of my preaching ,i said1 ,if the vilest woman there is in ,chicago should come into the ,chicago ,avenue church this morning1 and should here and now accept ,jesus ,christ as her ,saviour1 the moment she did it every sin she ever committed would be blotted out and her record would be as white in ,god's sight as that of the purest woman in the room4 ,unknown to me1 one of the members of my congregation that very morning had gone down into a low den of iniquity near the river and had invited a woman who was an outcast to come and hear me preach4 ,the woman replied1 ,i never go to church4 ,church is not for the likes of me4 ,i would not be welcome at the church if ,i did go4 ,the woman who was a saint replied1 ,you would be welcome at our church1 which1 thank ,god1 was true4 ,but1 ,no1 the woman urged1 it would not do for me to go to church1 church is not for the likes of me4 ,but the woman who was a saint urged the woman who was a sinner to go4 ,she offered to accompany her to the church1 but the other said1 ,no1 that would never do4 ,the policemen know me and the boys on the street know me and sometimes throw stones at me1 and if they saw you going up the street with me they would think you such as ,i am4 ,but the woman who was a saint had the ,spirit of the ,master and said1 ,i don't care what they think of me4 ,if you will accompany me to hear ,mr4 ,torrey preach ,i will go along with you4 ,the other woman refused4 ,but the saved woman was so insistent that the woman who was an outcast finally said1 ,if you will go up the street a few steps ahead ,i will follow you up the street4 ,so up ,la ,salle ,avenue they came1 the woman who was a saint a few steps ahead and the woman who was a sinner a few steps behind4 ,block after block they came until they reached the corner of ,la ,salle and ,chicago ,avenues4 ,the woman who was a saint entered the tower door at the corner1 went up the steps1 entered the church1 and the woman who was a sinner followed her4 ,on reaching the door the woman who was a sinner looked in1 saw a vacant seat under the gallery in the very last row at the back1 and slipped into it1 and scarcely had she taken the seat when ,i made the remark that ,i just quoted1 ,if the vilest woman there is in ,chicago should come into the ,chicago ,avenue church this morning and should here and now accept ,jesus ,christ as her personal ,saviour1 the moment she did it every sin she ever committed would be blotted out and her record would be as white in ,god's sight as that of the purest woman in the room4 ,my words went floating down over the audience and dropped into the heart of the woman who was a sinner4 ,she believed it1 she believed that ,jesus died for her1 she believed that by the shedding of ,his blood she could be saved1 she believed1 and found pardon and peace and justification then and there4 ,and when the meeting was over she came up the aisle to the front as ,i stepped down from the pulpit1 tears streaming down her face1 and thanked me for the blessing that she had received4 ,and ,i repeat it here this morning1 not knowing who may be here1 not knowing what may be the secret life of any one of you who is here1 not knowing what may be the sins that may be hidden in your heart1 if the vilest man or woman on earth should come into the ,church of the ,open ,door this morning and should here and now put their trust in ,jesus ,christ1 the moment you did it every sin you ever committed would be blotted out and in an instant your record would be as white in ,god's sight1 not only as that of the purest woman in the room1 but as that of the purest angel in heaven1 and not only that1 but all the perfect righteousness of ,god that clothed our ,lord ,jesus ,christ would be put to your account and you would be just as near and just as dear to ,god as the ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself is4 ,that is the doctrine of justification by faith4 ,wondrous doctrine6 ,glorious doctrine6 ,x ,,the ,,new ,,birth ,jesus answered and said unto him1 verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 except a man be born anew1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 4 4 4 ,jesus answered1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 except a man be born of water and the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4--,john #c3c1 #e4 ,our subject in this chapter is ,regeneration1 or the ,new ,birth4 ,i spoke on this subject a year or so ago1 but ,i am going to treat it in an entirely different way in this chapter and furthermore no course of sermons on the ,fundamental ,doctrines of the ,christian ,faith would be complete without a sermon on the ,new ,birth4 ,what we have to say in this chapter will come under four heads3 ,i4 ,what ,is the ,new ,birth8 ,,ii4 ,the ,results of the ,new ,birth1 ,,iii4 ,the ,necessity of the ,new ,birth1 ,,iv4 ,how ,one ,is ,born ,again4 ,i4 ,,what ,,is ,,the ,,new ,,birth8 ,the first question that confronts us is1 ,what is the ,new ,birth8 ,many speak of the ,new ,birth or of ,regeneration without any definite conception of just what the ,new ,birth is1 and so are never sure whether they themselves have been born again or not4 ,as plain and clear a definition of the ,new ,birth as we can find in the ,word of ,god is given in #b ,pet4 #a3d1 ,whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises2 that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature1 having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust4 ,from these words of ,peter it is evident that the ,new ,birth is the impartation to the one who is born again1 of a new nature1 ,god's own nature4 ,by being born again we become actual partakers of the ,divine nature4 ,we are all born into this world with a corrupted intellectual and moral nature4 ,the natural man1 or unregenerate man1 is intellectually blind1 blind to the truth of ,god1 the things of the ,spirit he cannot see or receive4 ,they are foolishness unto him1 and he cannot know them 7#a ,cor4 #b3ad74 ,his affections are corrupt1 he loves the things he ought to hate and hates the things he ought to love4 ,a definite description of the affections and tastes and desires of the unregenerate man is found in ,gal4 #e3ai1 #bj1 #ba4 ,he is also perverse in his will1 as ,paul puts it in ,rom4 #h3g1 ,the mind of the flesh is enmity against ,god2 for it is not subject to the law of ,god1 neither indeed can be4 ,this state of intellectual spiritual blindness and moral corruption is the condition of every unregenerate man4 ,no matter how cultured or refined or moral he may be outwardly1 his inner life is radically wrong4 ,in the ,new ,birth ,god imparts to the one who is born again ,his own wise and holy nature1 a nature that thinks as ,god thinks 7,he is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him--,col4 #c3aj72 he feels as ,god feels1 loves the things that ,god loves1 hates the things that ,god hates1 wills as ,god wills 7#a ,john #c3ad2 #d3g1 #h74 ,it is evident then that regeneration is a deep thorough-going change in the deepest springs of thought1 feeling and action4 ,a change so thorough-going that ,paul says in #b ,cor4 #e3ag1 ,if any man is in ,christ1 he is a new creature 7more exactly1 ,creation73 the old things are passed away2 behold they are become new4 ,to use the inspired language of the ,apostle ,john1 regeneration is a passing out of death into life4 ,john says in #a ,john #c3ad1 ,we know that we have passed out of death into life4 ,until we are thus born again we are in a condition of moral and spiritual death4 ,when we are born again we are quickened 7or made alive71 we who were dead through our trespasses and sins4 7,eph4 #b3a74 ,there is a profound contrast between regeneration and mere conversion4 ,conversion is an outward thing1 a turning around4 ,one is faced the wrong way1 faced away from ,god2 he turns around and faces toward ,god4 ,that is conversion4 ,but regeneration is not a mere outward change1 but a thorough-going change in the deepest depths of one's being1 that leads to a genuine conversion or genuine outward change4 ,many an apparently thorough conversion is a temporary thing because it did not go deep enough1 but regeneration is a permanent thing4 ,when ,god imparts ,his nature to a man1 that nature abides in the man4 ,when he is born again he cannot be unborn1 or as ,john puts it in #a ,john #c3i1 ,whosoever is begotten of ,god doth no sin1 because his 7,god's7 seed abideth in him4 ,a man may be converted a thousand times1 he can be regenerated but once4 ,,ii4 ,,results ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,birth ,we now come to the second question1 closely related to the first1 and it will help us to understand even more clearly what the ,new ,birth is4 ,what are the results that follow when one is born again8 ,they are numerous4 #a4 ,the first of these results is found in #a ,cor4 #f3ai1 where we read3 ,know ye not that your body is a temple of the ,holy ,ghost which is in you1 which ye have from ,god8 ,these words were spoken to believers1 to regenerated men1 and they plainly tell us that when one is born again1 the ,holy ,spirit comes to take up ,his permanent dwelling in the man and that the man who is born again thus becomes a temple of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it is true that we may not always be conscious of this indwelling of the ,holy ,spirit1 nevertheless ,he dwells in us4 #b4 ,the second result of the ,new ,birth is found in ,rom4 #h3b-d1 where we read3 ,for the law of the ,spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death4 ,for what the law could not do1 in that it was weak through the flesh1 ,god1 sending his own ,son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin1 condemned sin in the flesh3 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us1 who walk not after the flesh1 but after the ,spirit4 ,in the #gth chapter of ,romans1 we have a picture of the man who is awakened by the law of ,god which he approves after the inward man1 which he sees is holy and just and good1 which he tries to keep in his own strength1 but utterly fails to keep1 until at last he comes to an end of himself and is filled with despair of ever being able to keep the law of ,god outside of him1 because of the law of sin and death inside him1 which law of sin and death says1 the good which you would do you cannot do1 and the evil which you hate and would not do1 you must keep on doing4 ,when a man is thus brought to a consciousness of his own utter helplessness and turns to ,god and accepts ,jesus ,christ1 the ,holy ,spirit1 whom ,jesus ,christ gives to him who dwells in him1 sets him free from this law of sin and death so that by the power of the indwelling ,spirit he is enabled to obey the law of ,god and to get the victory over the evil things that he would not do and to do the things which he would do4 ,whereas in a man merely awakened by the law of ,god1 the law of sin and death gets a perpetual victory1 in a regenerate man1 the law of the ,spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus gets the perpetual victory4 ,doubtless many of you here to-day are still struggling to keep the law of ,god and utterly failing in your attempt to do so4 ,what you need is to be born again1 and thus have the ,holy ,spirit come to dwell in you1 and then to walk by the ,spirit1 and by the power of this indwelling ,spirit to get victory every day and hour over the law of sin and death that wars in your members against the law of ,god4 #c4 ,the third result of the ,new ,birth is found in ,rom4 #ab3b1 where we read1 ,and be not fashioned according to this world3 but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind4 ,from this it appears that the third result of the ,new ,birth is in outward transformation of our lives by the inward renewing of our minds so that we no longer are fashioned according to this world4 ,of course the regenerated man does not at once manifest perfectly that of which he has the germ in himself4 ,he begins the new life just as we begin our natural lives1 as a babe1 and he must grow4 ,as ,peter puts it in #a ,pet4 #b3b1 we must ,as new born babes1 desire the sincere milk of the word1 that we may grow thereby4 ,this new life must be fed and developed4 ,it is irrational1 and unwarranted by the ,word of ,god1 to expect one who has just been born again1 and who is consequently a babe in ,christ1 to be as perfect in character as one who was born years ago and who has grown to maturity4 ,but the moment we are born again we receive in germ all the moral perfection that is to be ours when this germ is fully developed within us and comes to its perfect manifestation4 #d4 ,the fourth result of the ,new ,birth we find in #a ,john #e3a1 ,whosoever believeth that ,jesus is the ,christ is begotten of ,god4 ,the fourth result of being born again is that the regenerated man believes that ,jesus is the ,christ4 ,of course this faith that comes from the ,new ,birth is a real faith4 ,the faith that ,john here speaks of is not a faith that is a mere opinion1 but that real faith that ,jesus is the anointed of ,god that leads us to enthrone ,jesus as ,king in our lives4 ,if you are not making ,jesus ,king in your heart and life you have not been born again4 ,but if you are making ,jesus ,king in your heart and life and absolute ruler of your thoughts and conduct1 then you are born again1 for ,whosoever believeth that ,jesus is ,christ is begotten of ,god4 #e4 ,the fifth result of being born again we find three verses further down in this same chapter1 #a ,john #e3d3 ,for whatsoever is begotten of ,god overcometh the world4 ,the fifth result of being born of ,god is that the one thus born again overcomes the world4 ,the world is at variance with ,god1 ,the whole world lieth in the ,evil ,one 7#a ,john #e3ai74 ,it is under the dominion of the ,evil ,one1 ruled by his ambitions and ideas4 ,the world is at variance with ,god in its commercial life1 social life1 domestic life1 and all the phases of intellectual life and educational life1 and is constantly exercising a power over each of us to draw us into disobedience to ,god 7see #a ,john #e3c72 but the one born of ,god by the power of the faith that comes through being born again1 gets the victory over the world4 ,he gets the victory over the world's ideas1 purposes1 plans1 ambitions4 ,he gets the victory over the world in his personal life1 domestic life1 commercial life1 political life1 intellectual life every day4 #f4 ,the sixth result of being born of ,god is found in #a ,john #c3i1 ,r4 ,v41 ,whosoever is begotten of ,god doeth no sin2 because his 7i4e41 ,god's7 seed abideth in him3 and he cannot sin 7rather1 cannot be sinning71 because he is begotten of ,god4 ,the sixth result1 then1 of being born of ,god is that in the one born of ,god the seed of ,god remains2 and1 therefore1 the one born of ,god is not making a practice of sin4 ,some one will ask1 just what does this mean8 ,it means exactly what it says1 if we look carefully at the exact force of the words used and give due emphasis to the tense of the verbs used4 ,first of all1 let us look at the exact force of the word translated ,sin4 ,what does sin mean8 ,john himself has been careful to define it in the verse itself and in the context in which our verse is found4 ,the first thing that is evident from #a ,john #c3i is that sin is a something done1 not merely a something left undone1 and not merely sinful thoughts and desires4 ,what kind of a something done it is defined five verses back in verse #d4 ,everyone that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness2 and sin is lawlessness4 ,sin here by ,john's own definition 7and we have no right to bring the definition of any one else into the verse we are studying7 is lawlessness1 i4e41 such acts as reveal conscious disregard for the will of ,god as revealed in ,his word4 ,so we see that sin1 as used here1 means1 a conscious intentional violation of the law of ,god4 ,the regenerate man will not be doing that which he knows to be contrary to the will of ,god4 ,he may do that which is contrary to ,god's will1 but which he does not know to be contrary to ,god's will4 ,it is not therefore lawlessness4 ,perhaps he ought to have known that it was contrary to ,god's will and when he is led to see that it is1 he will confess his guilt to ,god4 ,furthermore1 we should note the tense of the verb used in this verse4 ,it is the present tense which denotes progressive or continuous action4 ,a literal translation of the passage would be1 ,everyone begotten out of ,god1 sin is not doing1 because ,his 7,god's7 seed in him is remaining2 and he cannot be sinning1 because out of ,god he is begotten4 ,it is not taught here that one born of ,god never sins in a single act1 but it is taught that he is not going on sinning1 not making a practice of sin4 ,of what he is making a practice appears in #a ,john #b3bi1 ,if ye know that he is righteous1 ye know that everyone also that doeth righteousness is begotten of him4 ,the result1 then1 of being born again is that the one begotten again does not go on consciously day after day doing that which he knows to be contrary to the will of ,god1 but he does make a practice of doing righteousness1 i4e41 doing that which is conformed to the will of ,god as revealed in ,his ,word4 ,the new nature imparted in regeneration renders the continuous practice of sin impossible and renders the practice of righteousness inevitable4 #g4 ,the seventh result of the ,new ,birth is found in #a ,john #c3ad1 ,r4 ,v41 ,we know that we have passed out of death into life1 because we love the brethren4 ,he that loveth not abideth in death4 ,the seventh result of being born again is that we love the brethren4 ,we should note carefully what the thought of love is as brought out in the context4 ,it is not love as a mere sentiment4 ,it is love in that higher and deeper sense of a desire for and delight in the welfare of others1 the sort of love that leads us to make sacrifices for those we love1 or as we read further down in this same chapter1 verses #af-ah1 ,hereby know we the love of ,god1 because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren4 ,but whoso hath this world's goods1 and behold his brother in need1 and shutteth up his compassion from him1 how doth the love of ,god abide in him8 ,my little children1 let us not love in word neither with the tongue2 but in deed and truth4 ,this makes it very evident that what the ,holy ,spirit here means by love is not a mere affection or fondness for others1 not a mere delight in their society2 it means that deep and genuine interest in their welfare that leads us to go down into our pockets when they are in need and supply their need2 it leads us to sacrifice our own interest for the sake of their interests even to the point of laying down our lives for them4 ,the objects of this love are the brethren1 i4e41 all those who are begotten of ,god1 as we read in #a ,john #e3a1 ,whosoever believeth that ,jesus is the ,christ is begotten of ,god3 and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him4 ,any man who is born again will love every other man who is begotten of ,god4 ,the other one who is begotten of ,god may be an ,american or a ,german1 or an ,englishman1 or a negro1 or a ,chinaman1 or an ,indian4 ,he may be educated or uneducated2 but he is a child of ,god and a brother1 and as such if you are born of ,god1 he will be the object of your love4 ,this is a searching test of whether or not one is born of ,god4 #h4 ,the final result of being born of ,god that we will consider this morning is found in #b ,cor4 #e3ag1 ,r4 ,v41 ,wherefore if any man is in ,christ1 he is a new creature 7creation73 the old things are passed away1 behold1 they are become new4 ,the ninth result of being born again1 including all the other results that we have been considering1 is that in the regenerate man1 old things are passed away1 they are become new4 ,in the place of the old ideas1 old affection1 old purposes1 old choices1 are new ideas1 new affections1 new purposes1 new choices4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,birth ,for just a few moments let us look at the necessity of the ,new ,birth4 ,this is set forth in one of our texts and in the verses following1 #a ,john #c3e1 #f3 ,verily1 ,verily1 ,i say unto you1 except a man be born of water and the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,that which is born of the flesh is flesh2 and that which is born of the ,spirit is ,spirit4 ,we see here that the ,new ,birth is a universal necessity1 and we see why it is a necessity4 ,the words translated1 ,except a man be born1 etc4 more literally translated would be1 ,if any man be not born out of water and ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,and why he cannot enter into the ,kingdom of ,god the following verse says1 and that is because all that one gets by natural generation is ,flesh and the ,kingdom of ,god is spiritual1 and1 therefore1 to enter it one must be born of the ,spirit4 ,no matter how refined and intelligent our ancestry1 no matter how godly our fathers and mothers may have been1 we do not get the ,holy ,spirit from them4 ,all we get is flesh4 ,it may be refined flesh1 moral flesh1 upright and very attractive flesh1 but it is flesh2 and they that are in the flesh cannot please ,god1 nor inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,the flesh is incapable of improvement4 ,no more can the ,ethiopian change his skin1 or the leopard his spots than can a man who is unregenerate attain to a life pleasing to ,god4 7,see ,jer4 #ac3bc47 ,he must be born again4 ,the necessity is also absolute and imperative1 so absolute and imperative that ,jesus said to ,nicodemus1 though he was a man of most exemplary morality1 a man of high moral and spiritual education1 a teacher of ,israel1 a leader in the religious life of ,israel1 ,you must be born again4 7,john #c3g47 ,nothing else will take the place of the ,new ,birth4 ,men are trying to substitute education1 morality1 religion1 orthodoxy1 baptism1 outward reform1 new thought1 theosophy or the knowledge of ,god1 and other such things1 for the ,new ,birth2 but none of these1 or all of them together1 are sufficient1 you must be born again4 ,there is absolutely no exception to this rule4 ,as ,jesus says in ,john #c3c1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 except any man be born from above1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,,how ,,can ,,one ,,be ,,born ,,again8 ,the question1 therefore1 confronts each one of you1 ,have you been born again8 ,there is no more important question that you could possibly face4 ,face it in these pages and don't dodge it4 ,and that brings us to the immediately practical question1 ,how are men born again1 or what must any one here to-day1 who is not born again1 do in order to be born again right here this morning8 ,this question also is plainly answered in the ,word of ,god2 and ,i can give you the answer in a very few minutes and give it so that any one here can understand it4 ,there are three parts to the answer4 #a4 ,the first part of the answer you will find in ,titus #c3d1 ,not by works done in righteousness1 which we did ourselves1 but according to his mercy1 he 7i4e41 ,god7 saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,these words tell us very plainly that it is ,god who regenerates and that ,he does it through the power of ,his ,holy ,spirit4 ,the same thought is found in our text1 ,john #c3e1 #f3 ,jesus answered1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 except a man be born of water and the ,spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,that which is born of the flesh is flesh2 and that which is born of the ,spirit is ,spirit4 ,regeneration is ,god's work2 wrought by ,him by the power of ,his ,holy ,spirit working in the mind1 feelings and will of the one born again1 in your heart and mine4 #b4 ,some one might infer from the fact that regeneration is ,god's work1 which ,he works in our hearts by ,his ,holy ,spirit1 that all we have to do is to wait until ,god sees fit to work2 but we see plainly from other passages in the ,word that this is not true4 ,we are taught the second thing about how regeneration is wrought in ,james #a3ah1 ,of ,his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth1 that we should be a kind of first fruits of ,his creatures4 ,here we are taught that the ,word of ,truth1 the ,word of ,god1 is the instrument that ,god uses in regeneration4 ,the same thought is found in #a ,pet4 #a3bc1 ,having been begotten again1 not of corruptible seed1 but of incorruptible1 through the word of ,god1 which liveth and abideth4 ,and ,paul gives voice to the same great thought in #a ,cor4 #d3ae1 where he says3 ,for though ye should have ten thousand tutors in ,christ1 yet have ye not many fathers3 for in ,christ ,jesus ,i begat you through the gospel4 ,from these passages it is evident that the ,new ,birth is wrought by ,god through the instrumentality of ,his ,word4 ,it is ,god who works it through the power of ,his ,holy ,spirit1 but the ,holy ,spirit works through the ,word1 and thus ,god begets men anew by ,the ,word of ,truth1 or the ,word of ,god1 i4e41 the ,word which is preached by the ,gospel4 ,so then1 if you or ,i wish to be born again we should get in contact with the ,word of ,god by studying the ,bible and asking ,god that the ,holy ,spirit may make that ,word which we are studying a living thing in our own hearts4 ,we should get in contact especially with that part of ,god's ,word which is found in the ,gospel of ,john1 for ,john tells us in ,john #bj3ca that ,these 7i4e41 these things in the ,gospel of ,john7 are written1 that ye may believe that ,jesus is the ,christ the ,son of ,god2 and that believing ye may have life in his name4 ,if we wish to see others born again we should bring the ,word of ,god to bear upon their minds and hearts either by preaching the ,word1 or by teaching it1 or in personal work2 and we should look to the ,holy ,spirit to quicken that ,word in the hearts of men as we sow it in their hearts1 and in this way the ,new ,birth will result4 #c4 ,the third and last and decisive truth as to how we are born again is found in ,gal4 #c3bf and ,john #a3ab1 #ac4 ,in ,gal4 #c3bf we read1 ,for ye are all sons of ,god1 through faith1 in ,christ ,jesus4 ,this tells us plainly that we become born again through putting our faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,this is even more explicitly stated in ,john #a3ab1 #ac3 ,but as many as received him 7i4e4 the ,lord ,jesus71 to them gave ,he the right to become children of ,god1 even to them that believe on ,his name3 which were born not of blood1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god4 ,here we are told that the decisive thing in our becoming children of ,god is that we believe in1 or receive1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,any one who receives ,jesus ,christ as his personal ,saviour and trusts ,god to forgive him because ,jesus ,christ died in his place and receives him as his ,lord and ,king1 and surrenders his thoughts to ,his absolute control as his ,lord and his life to ,his absolute control as his ,king and confesses ,jesus ,christ as ,lord before the world1 such a one immediately becomes a child of ,god1 is immediately born again1 is immediately made a partaker of the ,divine nature4 ,the same thought is illustrated by ,jesus ,himself in ,john #c3ad1 #ae1 where our ,lord ,jesus is recorded as saying1 ,and as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of man be lifted up2 that whosoever believeth in ,him may have eternal life4 ,the reference is to the story of the ,israelites in the ,old ,testament when they were bitten by fiery serpents4 ,as the dying ,israelite with the poison of the fiery serpent coursing through his veins1 was saved by simply looking at the brazen serpent on the pole1 a serpent made in the likeness of the one that had bitten him1 and had new life coursing through his veins as soon as he looked1 so we dying men1 with the poison of sin coursing through our veins1 are saved by looking at ,jesus ,christ ,made in the likeness of sinful flesh1 lifted up on the cross1 and have new life coursing through our veins the moment we look4 ,all we have to do with our regeneration is to receive ,christ as ,he is presented to us in the ,word1 by which we are born again4 ,therefore1 ,if any man be in ,christ he is a new creature 7creation74 ,the old things are passed away1 behold all things are become new4 ,in the ,new ,birth the ,word of ,god is the seed2 the human heart is the soil2 the preacher of the ,word is the sower1 and drops the seed of the ,word of ,god into the soil of the human heart2 ,god by ,his ,spirit opens the heart to receive the seed 7,acts #af3ad72 the hearer believes2 the ,spirit quickens the seed into life in the receptive heart2 the heart closes around the seed by faith2 the new nature1 the ,divine ,nature springs up out of the ,divine ,word2 the believer is born again1 created anew1 made alive1 passed out of death into life4 ,conclusion4 ,have you been born again8 ,i put this question to every man and woman here4 ,i do not ask you whether you are a church member4 ,i do not ask if you have been baptised4 ,i do not ask1 have you gone regularly to the communion4 ,i do not ask1 have you turned over a new leaf4 ,i do not ask1 are you an amiable1 cultured1 intelligent1 moral1 socially delightful gentleman or lady4 ,i ask you1 have you been born again8 ,if not1 you are outside of the ,kingdom of ,god and you are bound for an everlasting hell unless you are born again4 ,but if you are not already born again you may be born again to-day1 you may be born again before you leave this building1 you may be born again right now2 for the ,word of ,god says1 ,as many as received him1 to them gave he the right to become children of ,god1 even to them that believe on his name3 which were born1 not of blood1 nor of flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god4 ,and it says again in ,rom4 #aj3i1 #aj1 ,if thou shalt confess with thy mouth ,jesus as ,lord and shalt believe in thy heart that ,god raised him from the dead1 thou shalt be saved3 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness2 and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation4 ,these verses make it plain as day just what you must do right here and now to become a child of ,god4 ,it is up to you to say whether or not you will do it4 ,,xi ,,sanctification ,and the ,god of peace himself sanctify you wholly2 and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire1 without blame at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4--#a ,thess4 #e3bc4 ,our subject now before us is ,sanctification4 ,the subject is one of great importance4 ,not only is there much ignorance and error and misconception about the subject1 but there is1 strange to say1 most bitter controversy over the subject4 ,so bitter is the controversy over the subject that some years ago there were two rival holiness conventions held at the same time in ,chicago at different hours of the day1 in the same church1 and the animosity between these two companies of holiness brethren was so intense that on one occasion they came near to having blows at the altar of the church4 ,the subject of ,sanctification has given rise to such bitterness and such extravagances in some quarters that many even dread the use of the word ,sanctification4 ,but the word is not only a ,bible word1 but a deeply significant word1 a word full of precious meaning2 and it would not be the part of wisdom on our part to give up this good ,bible word simply because the word is so often abused4 ,on one occasion a man said to me in the ,bible ,institute of ,chicago1 ,are you not afraid of holiness8 ,of course what the man meant was1 was ,i not afraid of certain phases of holiness doctrine so-called4 ,i replied that ,i was not nearly as much afraid of holiness as ,i was of unholiness4 ,the teaching of the ,bible on the subject is very plain and very precious4 ,what we have to say this morning will come under three headings4 ,first1 ,what ,sanctification ,is3 #b4 ,how to be ,sanctified2 #c4 ,when ,sanctification ,takes ,place4 ,i4 ,,what ,,sanctification ,,is ,first1 then1 let us consider what ,sanctification is4 #a4 ,in the first place let me make it clear that1 ,sanctification is not the ,baptism with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the two are constantly confused4 ,there is an intimate relation between the two1 but they are not at all one and the same thing2 and only confusion and misconception can arise from confounding two experiences which ,god keeps separate4 ,that ,sanctification is not the baptism with the ,holy ,spirit and that the baptism with the ,holy ,spirit is not ,sanctification1 will become clear as we proceed and find out from a study of the ,bible just what ,sanctification is4 #b4 ,in the second place1 let me say that ,sanctification is not the eradication of the carnal nature4 ,we will see this when we come to examine ,god's definition of ,sanctification2 for ,god has very clearly defined what ,sanctification is and when it takes place4 ,those who teach the eradication of the carnal nature are grasping after a great and precious truth1 but they have expressed that truth in a very inaccurate1 unfortunate1 and unscriptural way1 and this way of stating it leads to grave misapprehensions and errors and abuses4 ,the whole controversy about the eradication of the carnal nature arises from a misapprehension and from using terms for which there is no warrant in the ,bible4 ,the ,bible nowhere speaks about the carnal nature1 and so certainly not about the eradication of the carnal nature4 ,there is such a thing as a carnal nature1 but it is not a material thing1 not a substance1 not a something that can be eradicated as you pull a tooth or remove the vermiform appendix4 ,a carnal nature is a nature controlled by the flesh4 ,certainly it is a believer's privilege not to have his nature governed by the flesh4 ,our nature should be and may be under the control of the ,holy ,spirit1 and then it is not a carnal nature2 but one nature has not been eradicated and another nature put in its place1 but our nature is taken out from under the control of the flesh and put under the control of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,furthermore1 while it is our privilege to have our nature under the control of the ,holy ,spirit and delivered from the control of the flesh1 we still have the flesh1 and shall have the flesh as long as we are in this body4 ,but if we walk by the ,spirit we do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh 7,gal4 #e3af74 ,the #hth chapter of ,romans describes the life of victory1 just as the #gth chapter1 #i-bd verse describes the life of defeat1 when men are carnal1 sold under sin1 but it is in the #hth chapter where life in the ,spirit is described 7,rom4 #h3i7 that we are told that we still have the flesh1 but that it is our privilege not to live after the flesh1 but by the ,spirit1 to put to death the deeds of the body4 ,so we see that the body is there1 but in the power of the ,spirit we do1 day by day and 7if we live up to our privilege7 every day and every hour and every minute1 continuously put to death the deeds of the body4 #c4 ,so much as to what ,sanctification is not4 ,we will see exactly what it is if we look at ,god's definition of ,sanctification4 ,we shall find that the word ,sanctification is used in the ,bible in a two-fold sense4 7#a7 ,the first meaning of ,sanctification we will find in ,lev4 #h3aj-ab1 ,and ,moses took the anointing oil1 and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein1 and sanctified them4 ,and he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times1 and anointed the altar and all its vessels1 and the laver and its base1 to sanctify them4 ,and he poured of the anointing oil upon ,aaron's head and anointed him to sanctify him4 ,now it is perfectly clear in this passage that to sanctify means to separate or set apart for ,god1 and that ,sanctification is the process of setting apart or state of being set apart for ,god4 ,the word ,sanctify is used in this sense over and over again4 ,another illustration is ,lev4 #bg3ad1 #ag4 ,and when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto ,god1 then the priest shall estimate it1 whether it be good or bad3 as the priest shall estimate it1 so shall it stand 4 4 4 and if a man shall sanctify unto ,jehovah part of a field of his possession1 then the estimation shall be according to the sowing thereof4 ,here again it is plain that to sanctify means to separate or set apart for ,god1 and that ,sanctification is the process of setting apart or state of being set apart for ,god4 ,still another illustration of this same use of the word sanctify is found in ,num4 #h3ag1 ,for all the firstborn among the children of ,israel are mine1 both man and beast3 on the day that ,i smote all the firstborn in the land of ,egypt ,i sanctified them for myself4 ,this1 of course1 does not mean that ,god1 at the time that ,he smote the firstborn in ,egypt1 eradicated the carnal nature from the first-born of ,israel4 ,it does mean that ,he set apart all the first-born to be peculiarly ,his own4 ,another very suggestive illustration of the same usage of the word is found in the case of ,jeremiah as stated by himself in ,jer4 #a3d1 #e1 ,now the word of ,jehovah came unto me saying1 before ,i formed thee in the belly ,i knew thee2 and before thou camest forth out of the womb ,i sanctified thee3 ,i have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations4 ,this plainly means that before his birth ,god set ,jeremiah apart for ,himself4 ,there would still be much imperfection and infirmity in him1 but he was set apart for ,god4 ,another suggestive illustration of the same use of the word ,sanctify is found in ,matt4 #bc3bg1 in the words of our ,lord ,jesus ,himself3 ,ye fools and blind2 for which is greater1 the gold1 or the temple that hath sanctified the gold8 ,but perhaps the most striking illustration of all is in what our ,lord says about ,his own sanctification in ,john #ag3ai1 ,and for their sakes ,i sanctify myself1 that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth4 ,here the plain meaning is that our ,lord ,jesus set ,himself apart for this work for ,god and ,he did it in order that believers might be set apart for ,god in truth1 or in the truth4 ,this is the most frequent use of the word sanctify4 ,there are numerous illustrations of it in the ,bible4 ,so to sanctify means to separate or set apart for ,god2 and ,sanctification is the process of setting apart or the state of being set apart for ,god4 ,this is the primary meaning of the words4 7#b7 ,but the word as used in the ,bible has also a secondary signification closely related to this primary meaning4 ,an illustration of this secondary meaning will be found in ,,ii ,chron4 #bi3e1 ,hear me1 ye ,levites2 now sanctify yourselves1 and sanctify the house of ,jehovah1 the ,god of your fathers1 and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place4 ,bearing in mind the parallelism which is the chief characteristic of ,hebrew poetry1 it is plain that to sanctify here is synonymous with the ,carry forth the filthiness out of the holy places found in the last part of the verse4 ,so to sanctify here means to separate from ceremonial or moral defilement1 to cleanse2 and ,sanctification is the process of separating1 or state of being separated from ceremonial or moral defilement4 ,the same use of the word is found in ,lev4 #aa3dd1 ,for ,i am ,jehovah thy ,god3 sanctify yourselves therefore1 and be ye holy2 for ,i am holy3 neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that moveth upon the earth4 ,here again it is clear that sanctify yourselves is synonymous with be ye holy and is contrasted with defile yourselves and means to separate from ceremonial or moral defilement1 to cleanse2 and ,sanctification is the process of separating or state of being separated from ceremonial or moral defilement4 ,the same meaning of sanctification is found in the ,new ,testament in ,i ,thess4 #e3bc1 ,and the ,god of ,peace1 ,himself sanctify you wholly and may your ,spirit and soul and body be preserved entire1 without blame at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,here we see the close relation between entire sanctification and preserving wholly1 without blame1 and to sanctify here clearly means to separate from moral defilement1 and sanctification here again is the process of separating or state of being separated from moral defilement4 ,the same thing is evident from the #dth chapter of this same epistle in the #gth verse 7,i ,thess4 #d3g71 ,for ,god called us not for uncleanness1 but in sanctification4 ,our ,sanctification is here set in direct contrast with uncleanness1 and hence it is evident that sanctification here means the state of being separated from all moral defilement4 ,the same thing is evident from the #crd verse of this same chapter1 ,for this is the will of ,god1 even your sanctification1 that ye abstain from fornication4 ,here again it is evident that ,sanctification means separation from impurity or moral defilement4 ,the two meanings1 then1 of ,sanctification are3 the process of separating or setting apart1 or state of being separated or set apart1 for ,god2 and the process of separating or state of being separated from ceremonial or moral defilement4 ,these two meanings of the word are closely allied--one cannot be truly separated to ,god without being separated from sin4 ,,ii4 ,,how ,,men ,,are ,,sanctified ,we come now to the second question1 ,how are men sanctified8 ,there are several parts to the complete answer of this question4 #a4 ,the first part of the answer is found in our text of this chapter1 ,i ,thess4 #e3bc1 ,and the ,god of ,peace himself sanctify you wholly and may your ,spirit and soul and body be preserved entire1 without blame at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,it appears from this verse that ,god sanctifies men1 and ,sanctification is ,god's work4 ,both the separation of men from sin and their separation unto ,god1 is ,god's work4 ,as it was ,god who in the old dispensation set apart the first-born of ,israel unto ,himself1 so it is ,god who in the new dispensation sets apart the believer unto ,himself and separates him from sin4 ,sanctification is primarily not our work but ,god's4 #b4 ,the second part of the answer is found in ,eph4 #e3be1 #bf1 ,husbands love your wives1 even as ,christ also loved the church1 and gave himself up for it2 that he might sanctify it1 having cleansed it by the washing of water by the word4 ,here we are taught that ,christ sanctifies the church and that ,sanctification is ,christ's work4 ,the question1 of course1 arises1 in what sense does ,christ sanctify the church4 ,the answer is found in ,heb4 #aj3aj1 ,by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of ,jesus ,christ once for all4 ,here it appears that ,jesus ,christ sanctifies the church by giving ,himself up a sacrifice for it4 ,by thus giving ,himself up for it as a sacrifice ,christ sets the ,church apart for ,god4 ,just as the blood of the ,passover ,lamb in the #aath and #abth chapters of ,exodus set a difference between ,israel and the ,egyptians1 so our ,lord ,jesus by the offering of ,his own body has forever put a difference between the believer in ,himself and the world1 and has forever set every believer apart for ,god4 ,the ,cross of ,christ stands between the believer and the world4 ,the shed blood of ,christ separates the believer from the world1 purchases him to ,god and thus makes him to belong to ,god4 #c4 ,the third part of the answer to the question1 how men are sanctified1 is found in #b ,thess4 #b3ac and in other passages1 ,but we are bound to give thanks always to ,god for you1 brethren beloved of the ,lord1 for that ,god chose you from the beginning unto salvation through sanctification of the ,spirit and belief of the truth4 ,it appears from this passage1 as from other passages in the ,bible1 that it is the ,holy ,spirit who sanctifies the believer1 and that ,sanctification is the ,holy ,spirit's work4 ,here the question arises1 ,in what sense does the ,holy ,spirit sanctify the believer8 ,in this sense1 just as in the ,old ,testament type1 tabernacle1 altar and priest were set apart for ,god by the anointing oil 7,lev4 #h3aj-ab71 so in the ,new ,testament anti-type1 the believer1 who is both tabernacle and priest1 is set apart for ,god by the anointing of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,further than that1 it is the ,holy ,spirit's work in the heart that overcomes the flesh and its defilements1 and thus separates the believer from sin and clothes him with divine graces of character1 and makes him fit to be ,god's own4 ,as ,paul puts it in ,gal4 #e3bb1 #bc1 ,but the fruit of the ,spirit is love1 joy1 peace1 longsuffering1 kindness1 goodness1 faith1 meekness1 self-control4 ,in opposition to this work of the ,holy ,spirit1 we read in the immediately preceding verses what the works of the flesh are1 an awful catalogue of vileness and sin1 and we are told in the #afth verse1 ,walk in the ,spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh4 #d4 ,the fourth part of the answer to the question how we are sanctified is found in ,heb4 #ac3ab1 ,wherefore1 ,jesus also1 that he might sanctify the people through his own blood suffered without the gate4 ,it is plain from this passage that believers are sanctified through the blood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,here the question arises1 ,in what sense does the blood of ,jesus sanctify8 ,the answer is plain3 ,the blood of ,jesus ,christ cleanses us from all the guilt of sin1 and thus separates us from the mass of men under the curse of the broken law1 and sets us apart for ,god 7cf4 #a ,john #a3g1 #i74 ,in the ,old ,testament dispensation the blood of the sacrifice cleansed the ,israelites from the guilt of ceremonial offenses and set them apart for ,god2 in the ,new ,testament anti-type the blood of ,christ cleanseth the believer from the guilt of moral offenses and sets him apart for ,god4 #e4 ,the fifth part of the answer to the question1 how men are sanctified1 is found in ,john #ag3ag1 ,sanctify them in the truth3 thy word is truth4 ,here our ,lord ,jesus in ,his prayer indicates that we are sanctified in the truth1 and that the truth is the ,word of ,god4 ,in what sense does the ,word of ,god sanctify8 ,this question is plainly answered in different parts of the ,word of ,god1 where we are taught that the ,word of ,god cleanses from the presence of sin1 and thus separates us from it and sets us apart to ,god4 7,ps4 #aai3i1 #aa2 ,john #ae3c47 ,as we bring our lives into daily contact with the ,word1 the sins and imperfections of our lives and hearts are disclosed and put away1 and thus we are more and more separated from sin unto ,god4 7cf4 ,john #ac3aj47 #f4 ,the sixth part of the answer to the question1 how men are sanctified1 is found in #a ,cor4 #a3cj1 ,but of ,him are ye in ,christ ,jesus1 who was made unto us wisdom from ,god1 and righteousness1 and sanctification1 and redemption4 ,in this passage we are taught that ,jesus ,christ was made unto us from ,god sanctification4 ,just what does that mean8 ,simply this3 that separation from sin and separation to ,god are provided for us in ,christ ,jesus and by the appropriation of ,jesus ,christ we obtain this sanctification thus provided4 ,the more completely we appropriate ,christ the more completely are we sanctified4 ,but perfect sanctification is provided for us in ,him1 just as perfect wisdom is provided in ,him 7,col4 #b3c74 ,we appropriate either wisdom or sanctification or anything else that is provided for us in ,christ in ever-increasing measure4 ,through the indwelling ,christ presented to us by the ,spirit in the ,word1 we are made ,christlike and bear fruit4 #g4 ,the seventh part of the answer to the question of how men are sanctified is found in ,heb4 #ab3ad1 ,follow after peace with all men1 and the sanctification without which no man shall see the ,lord4 ,here we are taught that we have our own part in sanctification1 and that if we are to be sanctified in the fullest sense1 sanctification is something that we must pursue1 or seek earnestly1 if we are to obtain it4 ,while sanctification is ,god's work1 we have our part in it1 viz41 to make it the object of our earnest desire and eager pursuit4 #h4 ,the eighth part of the answer to the question of how we are sanctified is found in ,rom4 #f3ai1 #bb1 ,as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity1 even so present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification4 4 4 4 ,but now being made free from sin1 and become servants to ,god1 ye have your fruit unto sanctification4 ,the meaning of these words is plain1 and the teaching important and practical4 ,we are here taught that we attain unto sanctification through presenting our members as servants 7bondservants1 or slaves7 to righteousness and becoming ourselves bondservants unto ,god4 ,in other words1 if we wish to attain unto sanctification we should present our whole body and every member of it to ,god1 to be ,his servants1 belonging wholly unto ,him1 and we should present ourselves to ,god as ,his servants1 to be ,his absolute property4 ,this is the practical method of attaining unto sanctification1 a method that is open to each one of us here to-day1 no matter how weak we are in ourselves4 #i4 ,the ninth and final part of the answer to the question of how we are sanctified1 is found in ,acts #bf3ah1 ,to open their eyes1 that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of ,satan unto ,god1 that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in ,me4 ,here we are told that we are sanctified by faith in ,christ4 ,sanctification1 just as justification1 regeneration1 and adoption1 is conditioned upon faith4 ,faith is the hand that appropriates to ourselves the blessing of sanctification that ,god has provided for us through ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ by ,his death on the cross1 and through the power of the ,holy ,spirit working in us4 ,and we claim sanctification by simple faith in ,him who shed ,his blood and by surrendering ourselves to the control of the ,holy ,spirit1 ,whom ,jesus ,christ gives4 ,,iii4 ,,when ,,does ,,sanctification ,,take ,,place ,we now come to the question about which there has been the most discussion1 the most differences of opinion1 the most controversy4 ,when does sanctification take place8 ,if we will go to our ,bibles to get the answer to the question there need be no difference of opinion4 ,there are three parts to the answer4 #a4 ,the first part of the answer is found in ,i ,cor4 #a3b1 ,unto the ,church of ,god1 which is at ,corinth1 even them that are sanctified in ,christ ,jesus1 called to be saints1 with all that call upon the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ in every place1 their ,lord and ours4 ,here the ,holy ,spirit speaking through the ,apostle ,paul1 plainly declares that all the members of the church of ,god are already sanctified in ,christ ,jesus4 ,sanctification in this sense is not something that we are to look for in the future1 it is something that has already taken place4 ,the moment any one becomes a member of the ,church of ,god by simple faith in ,christ ,jesus1 for all who have faith in ,christ ,jesus are members of the ,church of ,god1 that moment that person is sanctified4 ,every saved man and woman in this building this morning1 every one who has living faith in ,jesus ,christ1 is sanctified4 ,our sanctification is involved in our salvation4 ,but in what sense are we1 that is1 all believers1 already sanctified8 ,the answer to this question is found in a passage of ,scripture to which we have already referred1 ,heb4 #aj3aj1 #ad1 ,by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of ,jesus ,christ once for all4 4 4 4 ,for by one offering ,he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified4 ,the meaning is plain4 ,by the offering of the body of ,jesus ,christ once for all on the ,cross of ,calvary as a perfect atonement for sin1 every believer is cleansed forever from the guilt of sin4 ,we are perfected forever as far as our standing before ,god is concerned1 and are set apart for ,god4 ,the sacrifice of ,christ does not need to be repeated as were the ,jewish sacrifices 7,v4 ,i74 ,the work is done once for all1 sin is put away1 and forever put away 7,heb4 #i3bf2 cf4 ,gal4 #c3ac71 and we are set apart forever as ,god's peculiar and eternal possession4 ,if any one asks you if you are sanctified2 if you are a believer in ,jesus ,christ1 i4e41 if you have a living faith1 in ,jesus ,christ1 you have a right to say1 ,i am4 ,every believer in ,christ is a saint1 a saint not in the sense in which that word is oftentimes used in modern usage1 but in the ,bible sense1 as being set apart for ,god and belonging to ,god and being ,god's peculiar property4 ,but there is another sense in which every believer may be fully sanctified to-day4 ,this is found in ,rom4 #ab3a1 ,i beseech you therefore1 brethren1 by the mercies of ,god1 to present your bodies a living sacrifice1 holy1 acceptable to ,god1 which is your spiritual service4 ,in this passage we see that it is the believer's present and blessed privilege1 and important and solemn duty1 to present his body to ,god a living sacrifice--not some part or parts of the body1 but the whole body with its every member and every faculty4 ,and when we do thus present our whole body to ,god a living sacrifice1 then we are wholly sanctified4 ,such an offering is well-pleasing to ,god4 ,as ,god in the ,old ,testament showed ,his pleasure in the offering by sending down fire to take it to ,himself1 so when the whole body is thus offered to ,god1 ,god will send down fire again1 the fire of the ,holy ,ghost1 and take to ,himself what is thus presented4 ,the moment a believer does thus present himself a living sacrifice to ,god1 then1 so far as his will1 the governing purpose of his life1 the very centre of his being1 is concerned1 he is wholly ,god's1 or perfectly sanctified4 ,he may still1 and will still1 daily discover1 as he studies the ,word of ,god and is illumined by the ,holy ,spirit1 acts of his1 habits of life1 forms of feeling1 speech and action1 that are not in conformity with this central purpose of his will1 and these must be confessed to ,god as blameworthy and put away1 and this department of his being and life brought1 by ,god's ,spirit and the indwelling ,christ1 into conformity with ,god's will as revealed in ,his ,word4 ,the victory in this newly discovered and unclaimed territory may be instantaneous4 ,for example1 ,i may discover in myself an irritability of temper that is manifestly displeasing to ,god4 ,i can go to ,god1 confess it1 renounce it and then instantly1 not by my own strength1 but by looking to ,jesus and claiming ,his patience and gentleness1 overcome it and never have another failure in that direction4 ,and so it is with every other sin and weakness in my life that ,i am brought to see is displeasing to ,god4 #b4 ,but this is not the whole answer to the question of when we are sanctified4 ,the second part of the answer is found in ,i ,thess4 #c3ab1 ,and the ,lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another1 and toward all men1 even as we also do towards you4 ,and the #dth chapter of this same epistle1 the #ast and #ajth verses1 ,finally then1 brethren1 we beseech you and exhort you in the ,lord ,jesus1 that as you received of us how ye ought to walk and to please ,god1 even as ye do walk1 that ye abound more and more4 4 4 4 ,for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all ,macedonia4 ,but we exhort you1 brethren1 that ye abound more and more4 ,and in ,,ii ,pet4 #c3ah1 ,grow in the grace and knowledge of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,and ,,ii ,cor4 #c3ah1 ,r4 ,v41 ,but we all1 with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the glory of the ,lord1 are transformed into the same image from glory to glory1 and even as from the ,lord the ,spirit4 ,and in ,eph4 #d3ae1 #af1 ,but speaking truth in love1 may grow up in all things unto him1 who is the head1 even ,christ2 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth1 according to the working in due measure of each several part1 maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love4 ,from these passages we see that there is a progressive work of ,sanctification1 an increasing in love1 an abounding more and more in a godly walk and in pleasing ,god1 a growing in the grace and the knowledge of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 a being transformed into the image of our ,lord from glory unto glory1 each new gaze at ,him making us more like ,him2 a growing up into ,christ in all things1 until we attain unto a full-grown man1 unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of ,christ4 ,here we see there is a progressive work of ,sanctification4 #c4 ,but we have not found the whole answer to the question of ,when ,men are ,sanctified1 even yet4 ,we find the remainder of the answer to the question in our text1 #a ,thess4 #e3bc accurately translated as it is in the ,revised ,version1 ,and the ,god of peace himself sanctify you wholly2 and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire1 without blame at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,here we are plainly told that the complete sanctification of believers1 complete in the fullest sense1 is something to be sought for in prayer and that is to be accomplished by ,god in the future and perfected at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the same thought is found in this same book1 the #crd chapter and #abth and #acth verses1 ,and the ,lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another1 and toward all men1 even as we do toward you1 to the end that he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our ,god and ,father1 at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus with his saints4 ,it is at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus with all ,his saints that ,he is to establish our hearts unblamable in holiness before our ,god and ,father and that our spirit and soul and body are to be preserved entire without blame4 ,the same thought is found in ,i ,john #c3b1 ,beloved1 now are we children of ,god1 it is not yet made manifest what we shall be4 ,we know that1 if he shall be manifested1 we shall be like him1 for we shall see him as he is4 ,it is not in the life that now is1 and it is not at death1 that we are entirely sanctified1 spirit1 soul1 and body4 ,it is at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,this is one of the many reasons why the well-instructed believer constantly cries1 ,even so1 come1 ,lord ,jesus4 ,come quickly4 ,,xii ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,the ,,body ,,of ,,jesus ,,and ,,of ,,our ,,bodies ,remember that ,jesus ,christ of the seed of ,david1 was raised from the dead1 according to my gospel4--#b ,tim4 #b3h4 ,for ,i delivered unto you first of all that which also ,i received1 how that ,christ died for our sins according to the scriptures2 and that he was buried2 and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures4--#a ,cor4 #ae3c1 #d4 ,now1 if ,christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead1 how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead8 ,but if there is no resurrection of the dead1 neither hath ,christ been raised3 and if ,christ hath not been raised1 then is our preaching vain1 your faith also is vain4 ,yea1 and we are found false witnesses of ,god1 because we witnessed of ,god that he hath raised up ,christ3 whom he raised not up1 if so be that he did not rise4 ,but if the dead are not raised2 neither hath ,christ been raised3 and if ,christ hath not been raised1 your faith is vain2 ye are yet in your sins4 ,then they also that are fallen asleep in ,christ are perished4 ,if in this life only we have hope in ,christ1 we are of all men most pitiable4--#a ,cor4 #ae3ab-ai4 ,we commemorate to-day the resurrection of ,christ from the dead4 ,we shall see that the resurrection of ,christ was a resurrection of the body of ,christ1 that it was not merely the indwelling ,spirit of ,jesus ,christ1 clothed upon with a new and entirely different body1 that appeared to the disciples on the first resurrection day1 but that it was the body that was buried1 raised again1 and that this involves for us not merely the immortality of our souls1 but the resurrection and eternal continuance of our bodies4 ,yet there are many who call themselves ,christians and who say that they believe in the ,bible1 and who consider themselves perfectly orthodox ,christians1 who do not believe in the ,resurrection of the ,body1 they merely believe in the immortality of the soul4 ,i4 ,,the ,,fact ,,of ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,the ,,body ,,of ,,christ ,,and ,,of ,,our ,,bodies ,we shall consider first the fact of the resurrection of the body of ,jesus ,christ and of our bodies4 #a4 ,turn first1 please1 to ,,ii ,tim4 #b3h1 ,remember that ,jesus ,christ of the seed of ,david1 was raised from the dead1 according to my gospel4 ,here ,paul explicitly declares that ,jesus ,christ was raised from the dead according to the gospel which he preached4 ,now what was raised8 ,certainly not ,his soul4 ,that did not die4 ,turning to ,acts #b3bg-ca1 we find that the soul of the ,lord ,jesus went into ,hades1 the abode of the dead4 ,these are ,peter's words1 spoken on the day of ,pentecost1 there recorded1 ,because thou wilt not leave my soul unto ,hades1 neither wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption 7i4e41 in ,his body74 ,thou madest known unto me the ways of life2 thou shalt make me full of gladness with thy countenance4 ,brethren1 ,i may say unto you freely of the patriarch ,david1 that he both died and was buried1 and his tomb is with us unto this day4 ,being therefore a prophet1 and knowing that ,god has sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins1 according to the flesh1 he would raise up ,christ to sit on his throne2 he foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of ,christ1 that neither was he left unto ,hades1 nor did his flesh see corruption4 ,this ,jesus did ,god raise up1 whereof we all are witnesses4 ,peter here declares that the soul of ,jesus went to ,hades and that it was ,his flesh1 i4e41 ,his body1 that was kept from corruption and afterwards raised4 ,turning now to ,i ,cor4 #ae3c1 #d1 we read these words of ,paul3 ,for we delivered unto you first of all that which also ,i received1 how that ,christ died for our sins according to the scriptures2 and that he was buried2 and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures4 ,paul here declares that ,jesus ,christ died and was buried and was raised4 ,what was raised8 ,paul says1 that that which was buried was raised4 ,but what was buried8 ,not the soul of the ,lord ,jesus1 but ,his body4 ,peter makes this even plainer1 if possible1 in ,i ,pet4 #c3ah-bj3 ,because ,christ also suffered for our sins once1 the righteous for the unrighteous1 that he might bring us to ,god2 being put to death in the flesh1 but quickened in the spirit2 in which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison2 which aforetime were disobedient1 when the longsuffering of ,god waited in the days of ,noah4 ,these words clearly mean that it was the body of ,jesus that was put to death1 but that the spirit still lived and went into ,hades2 so it was the body that was raised and to which the spirit that had not died or become unconscious came back4 ,i ,cor4 #ae3ab-ai removes all possibility of doubt on this point on the part of any man who goes to the ,bible to find out what it actually teaches and not merely to see how he can twist and distort it to fit it into his own preconceived opinions4 ,paul's ,spirit-given words here read1 ,now if ,christ be preached that he hath been raised from the dead1 how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead8 7,mark1 not no immortality of the soul1 but no resurrection of the dead47 ,but if there is no resurrection of the dead neither hath ,christ been raised3 and if ,christ hath not been raised1 then is our preaching vain1 your faith also is vain4 ,yea1 and we are found false witnesses of ,god2 because we witness of ,god that he raised up ,christ3 whom he raised not up if so be that the dead are not raised4 ,for if the dead are not raised neither hath ,christ been raised3 and if ,christ hath not been raised1 your faith is vain1 ye are yet in your sins4 ,then they also that have fallen asleep in ,christ have perished4 ,if in this life only we have hoped in ,christ1 we are of all men most pitiable4 ,there is no honest mistaking the plain meaning of these words3 by the resurrection of the dead ,paul plainly means a resurrection of the body2 and in the whole chapter1 beyond an honest doubt1 he is not talking about the immortality of the soul1 but the resurrection of the body4 ,the whole argument turns on that1 and ,paul here clearly says if the body of ,jesus was not raised1 then the whole ,christian system is a sham and our faith vain and that we ,christians of all men are most to be pitied4 ,for if the body of ,jesus was not raised1 and if our bodies are not to be raised1 then we ,christians are making tremendous sacrifices for a lie4 ,paul says further that if our bodies are not to be raised1 then ,christ's body has not been raised and ,christianity is a humbug4 ,christianity as taught in the ,new ,testament stands or falls with the resurrection of the body of ,jesus and the resurrection of our bodies4 ,there is no room in this argument of ,paul's for ,pastor ,russell's doctrine1 that the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ was not a resurrection of the body that was laid in the grave1 the body that was crucified1 and that the body of ,jesus ,christ1 the body that was laid in the sepulchre1 was carried away and preserved somewhere1 or else dissolved into gases4 ,paul says here1 if the body that was laid in the sepulchre was not raised1 then is our preaching vain and your faith also is vain4 ,in ,luke #bd3e1 #f1 the angels at the tomb from which the body of ,jesus had disappeared are recorded as saying to the women who were seeking the body of ,jesus to embalm it1 ,why seek ye the living among the dead8 ,he is not here but is risen4 ,now what were the women seeking8 ,the body of ,jesus to embalm it1 and the angels say that what they were seeking was not there but was risen1 had been raised4 ,furthermore1 in the remainder of the #fth verse and verse #g1 they say3 ,remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in ,galilee1 saying that the ,son of ,man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men1 and be crucified1 and the third day rise again4 ,here they told the women plainly that what was crucified1 which of course was the body of ,jesus1 was raised4 ,if the actual1 literal body of ,jesus had not been raised1 then these angels were liars4 ,do you believe that8 ,these are only a few of the very many passages in which it is very clearly taught that the very body of ,jesus was raised from the dead4 ,the body of ,jesus was raised from the dead and our bodies shall be raised from the dead1 else ,christianity is a lie from start to finish4 ,but ,christ was raised from the dead and we shall be raised4 ,or1 as ,paul puts it in the #bjth verse of this same chapter1 ,but now hath ,christ been raised from the dead1 the first fruits of them that are asleep4 ,our resurrection1 the resurrection of our bodies1 will be the harvest that follows the resurrection of the body of ,christ1 which was the first fruits4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,character ,,of ,,our ,,resurrection ,,bodies ,having clearly settled the fact of the resurrection of the body of ,jesus ,christ and of our bodies1 let us next consider the character of our resurrection bodies4 #a4 ,first of all1 we know that the body which is raised will not be exactly the same body that it was when it was laid in the grave4 ,this appears from ,i ,cor4 #ae3ce-ch3 ,but some will say1 how are the dead raised8 ,and with what manner of body do they come8 ,thou foolish one1 that which thou thyself sowest is not quickened1 except it die3 and that which thou sowest1 thou sowest not in the body that shall be1 but a bare grain1 it may chance of wheat1 or of some other kind2 but ,god giveth it a body even as it pleased him1 and to each seed a body of its own4 ,here we are told that our bodies when they are raised will not be exactly the same as our bodies when they are buried1 any more than the wheat that springs from the kernel of wheat that is planted is the same as the kernel that was planted4 ,but just as what grows from the seed comes from the seed and bears the most intimate relation to the seed1 so our resurrection bodies come from the body that is buried and bear the most intimate relation to it4 ,the resurrection body is the outcome of the body that is buried4 ,it is the old body quickened and transformed2 or1 as ,paul puts it in ,phil4 #c3bj1 #ba3 ,jesus ,christ 4 4 4 shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation1 that it may be conformed to the body of his glory1 according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself4 #b4 ,the next thing that the ,bible teaches about our resurrection bodies is that they are like the glorified body of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this appears from the verses just quoted1 ,phil4 #c3bj1 #ba3 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ 4 4 4 shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation1 that it may be conformed to the body of his glory1 according to the work whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself4 ,christ's resurrection body was not the same body that was laid in the sepulchre4 ,it was the old body transformed and delivered from the limitations of the body that ,he had while living here among men1 and new qualities imparted to it1 and our bodies will also be transformed into the likeness of this glorious body of ,christ and thus delivered from the limitations to which they are subjected now1 and new qualities imparted to them4 ,it will be a transformed body2 the character of its transformation is indicated by the transformation that took place in the body of ,jesus ,christ4 ,some suggestion as to what that transformed body of ,jesus ,christ was like is found in that anticipation of ,his resurrection which was seen by ,peter1 ,james and ,john on the mount of transfiguration4 ,matthew in his description of the appearance of ,jesus at ,his transfiguration1 tells us that ,his face did shine as the sun1 and his garments became white as the light 7,matt4 #ag3b74 ,luke tells us that the fashion of his countenance was altered and ,his raiment became white and dazzling 7,luke #i3bi74 ,mark tells us that ,he was transfigured before them3 and his garments became glistering1 exceeding white2 so as no fuller on earth can whiten them 7,mark #i3b1 #c74 #c4 ,the next thing that we are told about our resurrection bodies is that they will not be flesh and blood4 ,in ,i ,cor4 #ae3ej1 #ea we read1 ,now this ,i say1 brethren1 that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,paul is here talking about our resurrection bodies4 ,it is in the resurrection chapter he says this1 and he distinctly tells us that our resurrection bodies will not be flesh and blood4 #d4 ,but while our resurrection bodies will not be flesh and blood1 they will have flesh and bones4 ,this appears from what our ,lord ,himself says about ,his own resurrection body in ,luke #bd3ci4 ,here we read that ,jesus said3 ,see my hands and my feet1 that it is ,i myself3 handle me1 and see2 for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye behold me having4 ,as our resurrection bodies are to be transformed into the likeness of ,his1 we also must have flesh and bones in our resurrection bodies4 ,some have fancied that they saw a contradiction between what our ,lord says here and what ,paul says in the passage quoted above 7,i ,cor4 #ae3ej1 #ea71 but there is no contradiction4 ,flesh we shall have1 but not flesh and blood1 i4e41 not flesh1 the animating principle of which is blood4 ,the question arises1 ,what takes the place of the blood in our resurrection bodies8 ,the answer seems to be that in the present life1 blood is the life of the natural body1 but in the life to come our bodies are to be1 as we are told elsewhere in this same chapter1 spiritual bodies1 i4e41 bodies1 the animating principle of which is the ,spirit of ,god1 not our own blood4 ,our not having blood in our resurrection bodies involves many great and glorious possibilities1 upon which we cannot dwell now4 #e4 ,in the fifth place 7and closely connected with #c and #d71 our resurrection bodies will be incorruptible4 ,we read in ,i ,cor4 #ae3db3 ,so also is the resurrection of the dead4 ,it is sown in corruption2 it is raised in incorruption4 ,the thought of this word incorruption is that the body is not subject to decay1 it is imperishable4 ,our present bodies are decaying all the time4 ,we are perishing every day and every minute4 ,my present body is disintegrating while ,i talk to you4 ,but the bodies that we shall receive in the resurrection will be absolutely free from the liability to corruption or decay4 ,they cannot disintegrate or suffer decay or deterioration of any kind4 #f4 ,the next thing that we are taught about the resurrection body is that it is a glorious body4 ,this comes out in the first part of the following verse1 ,i ,cor4 #ae3dc1 ,it is sown in dishonour2 it is raised in glory4 ,some idea of the glory1 the glorious beauty1 of that body is suggested by the representation of our glorified ,lord that we have in ,rev4 #a3ac-ag3 ,and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto the ,son of man1 clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle4 ,and his head and his hair were white as white wool1 white as snow1 and his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feet like unto burnished brass1 as if it had been refined in a furnace1 and his voice as the voice of many waters4 ,and he had in his right hand seven stars3 and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword3 and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength4 ,and when ,i saw him1 ,i fell at his feet as one dead1 and he laid his right hand upon me saying1 ,fear not2 ,i am the first and the last4 ,our resurrection bodies will be like that4 #g4 ,furthermore1 our resurrection bodies will be powerful1 or as we read in the last half of this same verse 7#a ,cor4 #ae3dc71 ,it is sown in weakness1 it is raised in power4 ,then all our weariness and weakness will be forever at an end4 ,in our present bodies our bodies are oftentimes a hindrance to our highest aspirations1 they thwart the carrying out of our loftiest purposes1 we cannot put into execution our loftiest purposes1 the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak4 ,but in our resurrection bodies the body will be able to accomplish all that the spirit purposes4 ,the redeemed body will be a perfect counterpart of the redeemed spirit that inhabits it4 ,no deafness1 dimsightedness nor blindness1 no tired hands and feet1 no maimed soldier boys coming home from the war4 #h4 ,it will be a heavenly body4 ,this appears from the #dgth to the #dith verses of this same chapter4 ,the first man is of 7literally1 out of7 the earth1 earthy3 the second man is of 7literally1 out of7 heaven3 as is the earth1 such are they also that are earthy3 and as is the heavenly such are they also that are heavenly4 ,and as we have borne the image of the earthy1 we shall also bear the image of the heavenly4 ,the thought plainly is that our present bodies are of an earthly origin and an earthly character1 but that the transformed body will be of a heavenly character4 ,paul explains it at length in #b ,cor4 #e3a-d where he says1 ,for we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved1 we have a building from ,god1 a house not made with hands1 eternal1 in the heavens4 ,for verily in this 7i4e41 in this present earthly house1 earthy body7 we groan1 longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven 7i4e41 our heavenly body73 if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked4 ,for indeed we that are in this tabernacle 7i4e41 in the present earthy body7 groan1 being burdened2 not for that we would be unclothed1 but that we would be clothed upon 7i4e41 with our heavenly body71 that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life4 #i4 ,our transformed bodies will be luminous1 shining1 dazzling1 bright like the sun4 ,this is seen in many passages4 ,for example1 ,matt4 #ac3dc1 ,then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their ,father4 ,this is to be taken literally for it is in the interpretation of the parable and not in the parable4 ,this suggests what we have already seen about the transfigured body of ,jesus in ,matt4 #ag3b1 where we are told that ,his face did shine as the sun1 and his garments became white as the light4 ,we have the same thought also in the ,old ,testament in ,dan4 #ab3c1 where we are told1 ,and they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament2 and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever4 ,they shall shine literally as well as figuratively4 ,some suggestion of what the luminous glory of our faces and forms in our resurrection bodies will be is seen in the light that ,paul tells us that he saw beaming from the person of ,jesus when the glorified ,jesus met him on the ,damascus road4 ,in ,paul's description of what he saw on that occasion1 as given in ,acts #bf3ab1 #ac1 we read1 ,whereupon as ,i journeyed to ,damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests1 at midday1 ,o king1 ,i saw on the way a light from heaven1 above the brightness of the sun1 shining around about me and them that journeyed with me4 ,the light that ,saul saw1 as is evident from the whole account1 was the light that shone from the person of our glorified ,lord1 and in our resurrection bodies we shall be like ,him4 #aj4 ,three interesting facts regarding our resurrection bodies are stated in ,matt4 #bb3cj and ,luke #bj3ce1 #cf4 ,in ,matt4 #bb3cj we read3 ,for in the resurrection they neither marry1 nor are given in marriage1 but are as angels in heaven4 ,in ,luke #bj3ce1 #cf we read3 ,but they that are counted worthy to attain to that world1 and the resurrection of the dead1 neither marry1 nor are given in marriage3 for neither can they die any more3 for they are equal unto the angels2 and are sons of ,god1 being sons of the resurrection4 ,taking these two passages together1 we learn that our resurrection bodies are like the angels1 that we do not marry in our resurrection bodies and that these bodies cannot die any more4 #aa4 ,though all these resurrection bodies are glorious1 they differ from one another1 each one having its own peculiar glory4 ,this appears from #a ,cor4 #ae3da1 #db3 ,there is one glory of the sun1 and another glory of the moon1 and another glory of the stars2 for one star differeth from another star in glory4 ,so also is the resurrection from the dead4 ,glorious as all our bodies shall be1 there will be no tiresome uniformity even of glory in the world of resurrection bodies4 ,each body will have its own peculiar glory4 #ab4 ,let us say finally in regard to the character of our resurrection body1 that the resurrection of our body will be the consummation of our adoption1 i4e41 of our placing as sons1 our manifestations as sons of ,god4 ,in ,rom4 #h3bc we read3 ,we1 which have the first fruits of the ,spirit1 even we ourselves groan within ourselves1 waiting for our adoption 7i4e41 our placing as sons71 to wit1 the redemption of our body4 ,the resurrection body will be the consummation of our placing as sons1 i4e41 in the resurrection body it will be outwardly manifested that we are sons of ,god4 ,before ,his incarnation ,christ was in the form of ,god4 7,phil4 #b3f71 i4e41 in the visible appearance of ,god4 ,so shall we also be in the resurrection1 for our bodies shall be like ,his4 ,this throws light upon what ,paul meant when he said in ,col4 #c3d3 ,when ,christ1 who is our life1 shall be manifested1 then shall we also with him be manifested in glory4 ,and also it throws light on what ,john meant when he says in ,i ,john #c3b1 ,r4 ,v43 ,beloved1 now are we the children of ,god1 and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be4 ,we know that1 if he shall be manifested1 we shall be like him2 for we shall see him as he is4 ,,iii4 ,,when ,,will ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,the ,,body ,,take ,,place8 ,there remains but one question to be considered and we can deal with that very briefly4 ,that question is1 when will the resurrection of the body take place8 ,this question is plainly answered time and again in the ,bible4 ,for example1 it is answered in ,phil4 #c3bj1 #ba3 ,for our citizenship is in heaven2 from whence also we wait for a ,saviour1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ3 ,who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation1 that it may be conformed to the body of his glory1 according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself4 ,here it is plainly declared that the transformation of our bodies into the likeness of the glorious body of ,christ will take place when the ,lord ,jesus whom we are awaiting shall appear from heaven4 ,the same thought is given in ,i ,thess4 #d3af1 #ag3 ,for the ,lord ,himself shall descend from heaven1 with a shout1 with the voice of the archangel1 and with the trump of ,god3 and the dead in ,christ shall rise first2 then we which are alive1 that are left1 shall together with them be caught up in the clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the air3 and so shall we ever be with the ,lord4 ,the question will arise in some of our minds1 what about us in the meantime if we chance to die before the coming of the ,lord8 ,this question also is plainly answered in ,,ii ,cor4 #e3a-h3 ,for we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle 7our present bodies7 be dissolved 7die and decay7 we have a building from ,god1 a house not made with hands 7our resurrection body that we are to get at the coming of the ,lord71 eternal1 in the heavens4 ,for verily in this 7i4e41 while living in this present body7 we groan1 longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven 7our resurrection body7 if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked4 ,for indeed we that are in this tabernacle 7this present earthy body7 do groan1 being burdened2 not for that we would be unclothed 7i4e41 not that we would merely get rid of our present bodies71 but that we would be clothed upon 7i4e41 that we would receive our resurrection bodies7 that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life4 ,now he that wrought us for this very thing is ,god1 who gave unto us the earnest of the ,spirit 7i4e41 the ,holy ,ghost1 whom we have received as the earnest of the full redemption in our resurrection bodies which are to be obtained at the coming of the ,lord74 ,being therefore always of good courage and knowing that1 whilst we are at home in the body 7i4e41 while we are still in our earthly life in this present earthly body7 we are absent from the ,lord 7for we walk by faith not by sight72 we are of good courage1 ,i say1 and are willing rather to be absent from the body 7i4e41 to have our present earthly body die even before we get our resurrection bodies1 which we shall not get until the return of the ,lord71 and to be at home with the ,lord4 ,the teaching of this plainly is that if we die before the return of the ,lord and therefore before we obtain our resurrection body1 our spirits are unclothed1 i4e41 they are unclothed from this present body and not yet clothed upon with the resurrection body1 but that we are at home with the ,lord in conscious blessedness1 in a condition that is far better than that that we are in in this present life 7see ,phil4 #a3bc1 ,r4 ,v471 but not so perfect as that condition which shall be when our redeemed spirits are clothed upon with our resurrection bodies4 ,it will be at the return of the ,lord ,jesus that we get our full redemption4 ,that is one reason why we wait 7literally1 assiduously wait7 for ,him 7,phil4 #c3bj1 #ba1 see ,greek74 ,that is one reason why we long for the return of the ,lord4 ,there are many reasons why we long for the return of our ,lord4 ,all the great problems that are confronting us at this present time in national and international life1 in social1 commercial and political life1 will be solved when ,he comes1 and will never be solved until ,he comes2 and for these reasons we long for ,him4 ,but we long for ,him also because while this present body serves many a useful purpose for the redeemed spirit that inhabits it1 it is often a hindrance4 ,it is often subject to aches and pains1 to frailties1 and it is a constant temptation to folly4 ,but when our ,lord ,jesus comes again ,he will transform this present body of our humiliation into the likeness of ,his own glorious body and at that time we shall know what full salvation means1 when we shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of our ,father4 ,,xiii ,,the ,,devil ,the ,devil4 4 4 4is4--,john #h3dd4 ,the ,devil ,sinneth4--#a ,john #c3h4 ,,introduction ,our subject in this chapter is ,the ,devil4 ,i have two texts--,john #h3dd3 ,the ,devil4 4 4 4is4 ,the second text is #a ,john #c3h3 ,the ,devil ,sinneth4 ,the ,bible doctrine concerning the ,devil1 his ,existence1 ,nature1 ,character1 ,work and ,destiny is a fundamental doctrine of the ,christian faith1 and is of vital importance4 ,the teaching of the ,bible on this subject is not a mere matter of theory or dogma4 ,it is a matter of most practical every day importance4 ,experience shows that if men are in error in regard to this subject1 they are pretty sure to be in error on other questions that are fundamental4 ,when men and women begin to question the existence of a personal ,devil it is pretty sure that before long they will be questioning a good many other things regarding which a true child of ,god should have no questions4 ,doubt of the existence of a personal ,devil is widespread to-day4 ,many preachers in supposedly orthodox pulpits do not hesitate to say1 ,i do not believe in the existence of a personal ,devil4 ,denial of the existence of a personal ,devil is one of the main points in the system which is so widespread to-day1 and which is doing so much evil1 that with considerable reason it has been called ,the ,devil's ,masterpiece--,christian ,science4 ,a well-known and popular pastor in this city some months ago proclaimed to his people that he was going to preach to them a gospel without an atonement of blood1 without an infallible ,bible1 without hell1 and without a personal ,devil4 ,if he does preach to them a system of doctrine without any of these he will preach some other system of doctrine than that which is contained in the book1 which our ,lord ,jesus ,christ has endorsed as the ,word of ,god1 i4e41 the ,bible4 ,i4 ,,there ,,is ,a ,,devil ,the first point to make clear is that there is a ,devil4 ,this is plain from our first text1 ,john #h3dd3 ,the ,devil4 4 4 4is4 ,the whole verse reads3 ,ye are of your father1 the devil1 and the lusts of your father it is your will to do3 ,he was a murderer from the beginning1 and abode not in the truth1 because there is no truth in him4 ,when he speaketh a lie1 he speaketh of his own3 for he is a liar1 and the father thereof4 ,these are the words of ,jesus ,christ4 ,with any one who has any right to call himself a ,christian1 the words of ,jesus ,christ have infinitely more weight than the words of ,mrs4 ,mary ,baker ,eddy or any one else1 or all others together1 and ,jesus here says1 ,the ,devil4 4 4 4is4 ,but this is not the only passage by any means in which our ,lord ,jesus asserts in the most emphatic and most unmistakable terms the existence of the ,devil4 ,turn to ,matt4 #ac3ai1 and you will read these words3 ,when any one heareth the word of ,god1 and understandeth it not1 then cometh the evil one and snatcheth away that which has been sown in his heart4 ,these words are found in the interpretation of a parable--the ,parable of the ,sower4 ,it is impossible to say that these words are figurative4 ,in parables we have figures1 in the explanation of the parables we have the literal facts that the figures symbolise1 and these words are not taken from the parable1 but from our ,lord's own explanation of the parable1 and here we are distinctly told that there is a person1 who is here called ,the ,evil ,one1 whose business it is to snatch away the ,word of ,god when it has been sown in hearts that do not understand and heed it4 ,if evil is only impersonal and our ,lord had only referred to impersonal influences1 or human influences1 as taking away the ,word out of the hearts where it had been sown1 these words of ,his would be utterly without meaning4 ,that ,jesus ,christ believed that there was a person of whom ,he here speaks as ,the ,evil ,one and of whom ,he elsewhere speaks1 as we shall see directly1 as ,the ,devil1 admits of no doubt if we grant that the ,lord ,jesus was an honest man4 ,we must1 therefore1 if we believe in the ,lord ,jesus1 believe that there is a ,devil4 ,we can deny his existence only by questioning either the honesty or the intelligence of our ,lord4 ,he certainly taught that there was a ,devil4 ,it would be easy to show from the teachings of ,peter 7#a ,pet4 #e3h1 #i2 ,acts #e3c7 and from the teachings of ,john 7,john #ac3b7 and from the teachings of ,paul 7,eph4 #f3aj-ab7 also that there is a ,devil2 but that is unnecessary for any one who has any right to call himself a ,christian1 for if the ,lord says so1 that settles it1 and the ,lord ,jesus does say ,the devil4 4 4 4is4 ,if there is no ,devil1 then our ,lord ,jesus was either a fool or a fraud4 ,the question of believing in the personality of the ,devil involves the honour of our ,lord ,jesus4 ,if ,his teaching is not to be trusted on this point1 it is not to be trusted on any other point1 and the denial of a personal ,devil involves the trustworthiness of the ,lord ,jesus as a ,teacher and a ,saviour at every point4 ,so we see that the question of the existence of the ,devil is fundamental and of vital importance4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,nature ,,of ,,the ,,devil ,having settled it that there is a ,devil1 we now face the question as to the nature of the ,devil4 #a4 ,first of all1 the ,bible teaches us that the ,devil is a person4 ,this comes out in our second text1 #a ,john #c3h3 ,the devil sinneth4 ,only a person can sin4 ,when we say that the ,devil is a person we do not mean that necessarily he has a body1 certainly not such a body as he is pictured as having in various paintings and engravings that are supposed to represent the ,devil4 ,a person is any being who knows and feels and wills4 ,when we say that the ,devil is a person we mean that he is a being who has intelligence1 feeling and will1 that he is not a mere principle of evil4 ,the personality of the ,devil is taught over and over again in the ,bible4 ,just a few illustrations in addition to our texts4 ,turn again to ,matt4 #ac3ai3 ,when any one heareth the word of ,god1 and understandeth it not1 then cometh the evil one1 and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart4 ,the representation of this passage is the representation of a person4 ,he is called ,the ,evil ,one1 not merely evil1 but ,the ,evil ,one1 which of course is the representation of a person4 ,if evil is only impersonal1 or if it only works through human beings1 these words of our ,lord ,jesus would be without meaning4 ,the personality of the ,devil comes out again very clearly and very forcibly in ,eph4 #f3aj-ab3 ,finally1 brethren1 be strong in the ,lord and the strength of his might4 7#aa7 ,put on the whole armour of ,god1 that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil4 7#ab7 ,for our wrestling is not against flesh and blood1 but against the principalities1 against the powers1 against the world rulers of this darkness1 against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places4 ,here ,paul distinctly tells us that the great reason why we need to be strong in the ,lord and in the strength of ,his might and why we need to put on the whole armour of ,god1 is because there is a being of great cunning1 subtlety and power1 a person named ,the ,devil1 and that this being has under him a multitude of other personalities of such dignity and power as to be called by the titles3 principalities1 powers1 world rulers1 spiritual hosts of wickedness4 ,beyond a question our ,lord ,jesus1 and the ,apostle ,peter and the ,apostle ,john and the ,apostle ,paul believed in and taught the existence of a personal ,devil4 ,if there is not a personal ,devil we may as well give up our ,bible1 for in that case it is a book that is full of folly and of fraud4 ,if there is not a personal ,devil we must give up our belief in the inspired authority of the ,apostle ,paul1 the ,apostle ,peter1 the ,apostle ,john1 and we must give up our faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,no intelligent student of the ,bible can retain his faith in the inspiration and authority of that ,book1 or his faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 if he gives up belief in the existence of a personal ,devil4 ,as intelligent men and women1 we must take our choice between believing in the existence of a personal ,devil or giving up our faith in ,jesus ,christ and ,christianity4 ,any system of doctrine that denies the existence of a personal ,devil is radically unchristian whatever name it may arrogate to itself4 #b4 ,the second thing that the ,bible teaches as to the nature of the ,devil1 is that1 the ,devil is a being of very great power and authority4 ,this comes out in the verses we have just read1 ,eph4 #f3aj1 #aa3 ,finally be strong in the ,lord1 and in the power of his might4 7#aa7 ,put on the whole armour of ,god1 that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil4 ,these words make it clear that the ,devil is so mighty that the people of ,god cannot resist his cunning wiles without having on the whole armour of ,god1 and it is also evident from the #ajth verse that we cannot resist his power unless we are strengthened with the strength of ,god4 ,and this is not all3 in the #abth verse we read3 7#ab7 ,for our wrestling is not against flesh and blood1 but against the principalities1 against the powers1 against the world rulers of this darkness1 against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places4 ,these are tremendous words4 ,if they mean anything1 they certainly mean that there are beings of great authority and dignity who are under the leadership of the one supreme being of evil1 the ,devil4 ,the conflict that we have on hand as believers in ,christ is terrific4 ,the conflict that the ,allies have on hand with the mighty military forces of the ,kaiser is nothing to the battle we have on hand with the ,devil and his hosts4 ,we are fools if we underestimate the battle4 ,on the other hand1 we must not over-estimate it4 ,while our conflict is with the ,devil1 and while our wrestling is against the principalities1 against the powers1 against the world-rulers1 against the spiritual hosts of wickedness1 nevertheless ,he that is for us is far mightier than they4 ,the ,devil is mighty but our ,saviour is almighty4 ,it is quite possible for one to become morbid over this subject of the ,devil1 and to become utterly discouraged and even deranged4 ,that is entirely unnecessary and unwarranted4 ,while our conflict is with the ,devil and his mighty hosts1 ,god has provided for us a strength and an armour whereby we may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the ,evil ,one and to withstand in the evil day1 and having done all to stand 7v4 #ac74 #c4 ,the third thing that the ,bible teaches us as to the ,nature of the ,devil is that1 the ,devil is a being of great majesty and dignity of position4 ,turn to ,jude #h1 #i3 ,yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh1 and set at nought dominion1 and rail at dignities 7the literal translation of the ,greek word rendered dignities is glories74 7#i7 ,but ,michael the ,archangel1 when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of ,moses1 durst not bring against him a railing judgment1 but said1 ,the ,lord rebuke thee4 ,from these words it is evident that the position of the ,devil was so exalted that even ,michael the archangel did not dare to bring a railing judgment against him4 ,the context seems to imply that the position of the ,devil was more exalted than that of ,michael the archangel himself4 ,the ,devil of the ,bible is not at all the ,devil of common thought4 ,he is not a being hideous in appearance1 with hoofs and horns and tail4 ,he is not even the being pictured by ,milton or ,bunyan4 ,he is a being of very great original majesty and dignity1 a being of great wisdom and power4 ,when people talk lightly and contemptuously about the ,devil they display gross ignorance of what the ,bible teaches about him4 ,it is true that he is evil in character and therefore called ,the ,evil ,one 7,john #e3ai1 ,r4 ,v474 ,it is true he is a liar and a murderer 7,john #h3dd71 it is true that he is full of malignity 7,,ii ,cor4 #d3d73 but he is a being of great dignity and majesty1 so that even ,michael the archangel durst not bring against him a railing accusation4 #d4 ,the ,bible teaches furthermore that the ,devil is the prince of this world4 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,himself taught this4 ,he says in ,john #ab3ca3 ,now is the judgment of this world2 now shall the prince of this world be cast out4 ,the ,greek word translated world in this passage is kosmos1 and the thought is of the present world order1 and our ,lord's teaching is that the ,devil is the prince of this present world order4 ,we have the same teaching of our ,lord in ,john #ad3cj1 where we read3 ,i will no more speak much with you1 for the prince of the world cometh3 and he hath nothing in me4 ,these words of our ,lord are found in what many regard as the most precious chapter in the ,bible1 the #adth chapter of ,john1 and if we give up this teaching of our ,lord regarding ,satan we must give up1 not merely the ,bible as a whole1 but this most precious chapter in the ,bible4 ,we find the ,lord teaching the same thing again on that same night1 the night before ,his crucifixion1 in ,john #af3aa where he says3 ,the prince of this world is judged--the evident reference being to ,satan4 ,how the ,devil came to be ,prince of this world it may be impossible for us to say1 but that he is so admits of no question1 if we are to accept the teaching of ,jesus ,christ1 and any one who will study the ruling principles of commercial life1 of political life1 of social life1 and above all of international relations1 to such an one it will become perfectly evident that the ,devil is the one who is master of the present order of things4 ,if we ever doubted before that there was a ,devil1 and just such a ,devil as the ,bible pictures1 we can scarcely doubt it now1 when we consider the action of the rulers of the earth in this present mad world war4 ,how could beings so intelligent in matters of science and philosophy and economics as the present rulers of ,germany are1 ever be guilty of plunging the nations of the earth into this mad war8 ,there is but one reasonable answer3 because there is a ,devil who rules the present ,kosmos1 or world order1 and he controls the ,kaisers and the ,reichstags of the world and will until the true ,prince comes1 the ,prince of ,peace1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,character ,,of ,,the ,,devil #a4 ,as to the character of the ,devil1 the ,bible teaches us that he is a being absolutely wicked4 ,in ,matt4 #ac3ai he is called1 ,the ,wicked ,one4 ,that is to say1 he is one who is the personal embodiment of absolute wickedness4 ,in ,i ,john #e3ai ,r4 ,v4 also he is called ,the ,wicked ,one4 ,god is ,the ,holy ,one1 that is to say the ,one who is the personal embodiment of perfect holiness4 ,the ,devil is just ,his opposite1 the personal embodiment of consummate wickedness4 #b4 ,the ,devil is to evil what ,god is to good4 ,in ,i ,john #c3h1 we read3 ,he that doeth sin is of the devil2 for the devil sinneth from the beginning4 ,to this end was the son of ,god manifested1 that he might destroy the works of the devil4 ,this does not mean that the ,devil sinned from the very origin of all things and that he was created sinful1 for we learn from ,ezek4 #bh3ae that the ,devil was created upright4 ,the verse does mean1 however1 that ,satan is the original sinner4 ,the expression from the beginning is characteristic of the epistle from which these words are taken and does not necessarily mean from the origin of things 7see for example verse #aa74 ,in a similar way we are told in one of our texts--,john #h3dd--that the ,devil was a murderer from the beginning and that he is ,a liar and the father of it4 ,there is absolutely no truth in him4 ,so much for the nature and character of the ,devil4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,devil ,we come now to the question of the ,work of the ,devil1 or ,how the ,devil ,manifests ,himself1 and ,what ,he ,does4 #a4 ,in the first place we are taught that the ,devil tempts men to sin4 ,we have a most striking illustration of this in his temptation of our ,lord4 ,we have in the ,bible three accounts of this temptation4 ,we will look at ,matthew's account4 ,matt4 #d3a-i3 ,then was ,jesus led up of the ,spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil4 7#b7 ,and when he had fasted forty days and forty nights1 he afterward hungered4 7#c7 ,and the tempter came and said unto him1 ,if thou art the son of ,god1 command that these stones become bread4 7#d7 ,but he answered and said1 ,it is written1 man shall not live by bread alone1 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of ,god4 7#e7 ,then the devil taketh him into the ,holy ,city2 and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple4 7#f7 ,and saith unto ,him1 ,if thou art the ,son of ,god1 cast thyself down3 for it is written1 he shall give his angels charge concerning thee3 and1 on their hands they shall bear thee up1 lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone4 7#g7 ,jesus said unto him1 ,again it is written1 thou shalt not make trial of the ,lord thy ,god4 7#h7 ,again1 the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain1 and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world1 and the glory of them2 7#i7 ,and ,he said unto him1 ,all these things will ,i give thee1 if thou wilt fall down and worship me4 ,of course we have not time this morning to go into the whole question of our ,lord's temptation1 but this much is certainly plain1 that the ,devil is represented as the tempter1 tempting our ,lord4 ,if there is no personal ,devil1 as so many would have us believe1 or if he is not the tempter1 there would be absolutely no reason for bringing him into this account4 ,as the ,devil tempted our ,lord1 so he tempts us to-day4 ,and it is to be noticed that he does not tempt us merely to gross animal lusts and vile sins1 but with subtle spiritual temptations1 and above all he tempts us to doubt ,god's ,word4 ,it was with this form of temptation that he first assaulted our ,lord4 ,god had just said to the ,lord ,jesus at ,his baptism1 ,thou art my beloved ,son2 in thee ,i am well pleased 7,luke #c3bb71 and ,satan came insinuating doubt of ,god's ,word by beginning his temptation with these words3 ,if thou art the ,son of ,god1 and again further down in the temptation1 he repeats the doubt1 saying to the ,lord ,jesus again3 ,if thou art the ,son of ,god4 ,in just the same way ,satan began his assault upon ,eve in the ,garden of ,eden1 by insinuating a doubt of ,god's ,word and of ,god's goodness4 ,he began by saying3 ,yea1 hath ,god said4 4 4 48 7,gen4 #c3b71 and further on when ,eve stated exactly what ,god had said1 the ,devil flatly contradicted and said3 ,ye shall not surely die 7literally1 ,dying1 thou shalt not die7 when ,god had said3 ,thou shalt surely die 7,dying1 thou shalt die74 ,this is ,satan's favourite method of attack to-day4 ,he gets us to doubt ,god's ,word4 ,satan's most effective mode of work is by leading men into doubt and into error on fundamental points4 ,the saloons and the gambling hells and the brothels are not the chief spheres of ,satan's activities1 but the schools and colleges and theological seminaries where he is inducing men and women1 and callow youths and maidens1 to doubt the truth of ,god's ,word1 and to reject the fundamental truths of ,god's word and accept ,satan's errors in their place4 ,satan knows well2 that1 if he can get men to doubting ,god's ,word1 it is easy to lead them into the vilest sins4 ,false doctrine has been a more prolific source of the vilest sins than even the saloons4 #b4 ,but ,satan not merely tempts men to sin by insinuating doubts of ,god's ,word1 he also has his synagogues and ministers among men to do his work4 ,turn to ,rev4 #c3i3 ,behold1 ,i give of the synagogue of ,satan1 of them that say they are ,jews1 and are not1 but do lie2 behold1 ,i will make them to come and worship before thy feet1 and to know that ,i have loved thee4 ,what ,i wish you to notice here are the words1 ,the synagogue of ,satan4 ,in this case it was a ,jewish synagogue1 but now-a-days1 it is often a so-called ,christian church4 ,in ,,ii ,cor4 #aa3ad1 #ae we have an even more remarkable passage3 ,for even ,satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light4 7#ae7 ,it is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness2 whose end shall be according to their works4 ,here we are told that ,satan has his ministers4 ,they do not advertise themselves as ministers of ,satan1 oftentimes they are not even conscious that they are2 but they put themselves forward as ministers of righteousness4 ,they advocate ethical culture1 a system of salvation without atoning blood4 ,they are frequently men of very attractive personality and great intellectual brilliance and ability1 but they are doing the ,devil's work4 ,satan is never so dangerous as when he ,fashioneth himself into an angel of light1 and no other ministers of his are so dangerous as the men and women of attractive personality and brilliant intellectual gifts who are undermining the faith of ,god's children1 or who are teaching various forms of seductive and alluring error1 ,christian ,science1 ,new ,thought1 ,theosophy1 ,occultism 7,spiritualism71 and all that species of cults4 #c4 ,we have not time to speak here of ,satan's work as the author of sickness 7,acts #aj3ch2 ,luke #ac3af71 and as the one who has the power of death 7,heb4 #b3ad74 #d4 ,but we must also speak of another work of the ,devil4 ,it is set forth in ,,ii ,cor4 #d3c1 #d1 ,r4 ,v43 ,and even if our gospel is veiled1 it is veiled in them that perish3 7#d7 ,in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving1 that the light of the gospel of the glory of ,christ1 who is the image of ,god should not dawn upon them4 ,we read here that it is the work of ,satan to blind the minds of unbelievers in order ,that the light of the gospel of the glory of ,christ1 who is the image of ,god1 should not dawn upon them4 ,it is evident then that the ,devil is the author of false views1 especially false views of the person of ,christ4 ,he is the author of ,unitarianism1 and the denial of the ,deity of our ,lord in all its forms4 ,he so blinds the minds of men who submit to his blinding that the ,divine ,glory of ,christ1 who is the very image of ,god1 is hidden from them4 ,this explains why it is that ,unitarianism in all its various forms persists even after its folly has been so often exposed4 ,satan's work along this line is to culminate at the appearing of the ,anti-,christ1 ,even he1 whose coming is according to the working of ,satan with all power1 and signs and lying wonders1 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish2 because they received not the love of the truth1 that they might be saved4 7,,ii ,thess4 #b3i1 #aj1 ,r4 ,v47 ,v4 ,,the ,,devil',s ,,destiny ,we come now to the fifth general division of our subject--,the ,devil's ,destiny4 #a4 ,turn in the first place to ,rev4 #bj3a-c3 ,and ,i saw an angel coming down out of heaven1 having the keys of the abyss and a great chain in his hand4 ,and he laid hold of the dragon1 the old serpent1 which is the devil and ,satan1 and bound him for a thousand years1 and cast him into the abyss1 and shut it1 and sealed it over him1 that he should deceive the nations no more1 until the thousand years should be finished3 ,after this he must be loosed for a little time4 ,we are here taught that at the ,second ,coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,satan shall be bound with a great chain and cast into the abyss for a thousand years4 ,the abyss1 or as it is translated in the ,authorised ,version1 bottomless pit1 does not mean hell4 ,satan1 as we shall see further on1 shall be cast into hell later4 #b4 ,turn now to ,rev4 #bj3g1 #h3 ,and when the thousand years are finished1 ,satan shall be loosed out of his prison1 and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth1 ,gog and ,magog1 to gather them together to the war3 ,the number of whom is as the sand of the sea4 ,we are here taught that at the end of the ,millennium1 the thousand years1 ,satan shall be loosed for a little season from the abyss into which he has been cast chained1 and that he shall come forth to deceive the nations4 ,but the time of his power then will be very brief4 #c4 ,in ,rev4 #bj3aj we find the ultimate destiny of the ,devil3 ,and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone1 where are also the beast and the false prophet2 and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever4 ,here is one of the points at which the theories of the ,reconciliation people and ,universalists generally break down4 ,the argument of the ,reconciliationists and ,universalists1 by which they attempt to prove that all men must ultimately be saved1 carried to its logical issue1 if it proved anything1 would prove the salvation of ,satan also1 and this many of them do teach4 ,they say plainly that the ,devil will ultimately be brought to repentance and saved4 ,indeed that is what ,i believed and taught in my early ministry4 ,but this passage which we have just read shows the impossibility of this being true4 ,the lake of fire was prepared for the ,devil and his angels4 ,our ,lord ,himself says in ,matt4 #be3da that when ,he comes back to judge this world ,he will say to those on ,his left hand3 ,depart from me1 ye cursed into the eternal fire1 which is prepared for the devil and his angels4 ,hell was not prepared for men1 but for the ,devil and his angels4 ,if any man goes there it will be because he has chosen to cast in his lot with the ,devil rather than with ,god4 ,therefore they go where the ,devil goes4 ,every one who rejects ,jesus ,christ is throwing in his lot with the ,devil4 ,,vi4 ,,how ,,to ,,get ,,victory ,,over ,,the ,,devil ,now just for a few moments let me show you from the ,word of ,god1 how1 in practical every day life1 to get the victory over the ,devil4 ,there are four things to be borne in mind4 #a4 ,read first1 ,james #d3g1 ,be subject therefore unto ,god3 but resist the devil1 and he will flee from you4 ,this teaches us that1 we are first of all to surrender to ,god and then to resist the ,devil and that1 if we do resist him1 for all his cunning and power1 he will flee from us4 ,although the ,devil is strong1 it is ours in ,god's strength to withstand him and overcome him4 #b4 ,now turn to ,i ,john #b3ad3 ,i have written unto you1 fathers1 because ye know him which is from the beginning4 ,i have written unto you young men1 because ye are strong1 and the word of ,god abideth in you1 and ye have overcome the evil one4 ,this passage teaches us that1 it is when we feed upon the ,word of ,god and store the ,word of ,god in our hearts1 thus having it abiding in us1 that we shall be able to overcome the ,devil4 ,if we neglect the study of the ,bible for a single day1 we leave an open door for the ,devil to enter4 ,i have been a ,christian for forty-three years1 but ,i would not dare to neglect the study of ,god's word for one single day4 ,why not8 ,because there is a ,devil2 and1 if ,i neglect the study of the ,word of ,god for a single day1 ,i leave a window open for him to enter and leave myself too weak to cope with him and conquer him4 ,but if we will feed upon the ,word of ,god daily1 and trust in ,god1 we can resist the devil at every point4 ,though the ,devil is cunning and strong1 ,god is stronger1 and ,god imparts ,his strength to us through ,his written word4 #c4 ,turn now to ,eph4 #f3aa3 ,put on the whole armour of ,god1 that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil4 ,here we are taught that1 in order to stand against the wiles of the ,devil we must ,put on the whole armour of ,god4 ,what that armour is1 is found in the verses that immediately follow4 ,this armour1 this whole armour1 this panoply of ,god1 is at our disposal4 ,the fact that there is a ,devil1 that he is a being of such majesty1 dignity1 cunning1 and power1 that he is so incessantly plotting our ruin and to undermine our faith1 is no reason for fear or discouragement4 ,by taking the shield of faith we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one1 by taking the helmet of salvation1 and the sword of the ,spirit which is the ,word of ,god1 and by praying always with all prayer and supplication in the ,spirit1 it is our privilege to have victory over the ,devil every day of our lives1 every hour of the day1 and every minute of the hour4 #d4 ,the final step in the way to get victory over ,satan is found in ,eph4 #f3aj3 ,finally1 be strong in the ,lord1 and in the strength of his might4 ,the way to get victory over ,satan is to give up all confidence in our own strength and believe in the almighty strength of ,jesus ,christ and claim that strength for ourselves4 ,it is in the strength of ,jesus ,christ's might that we shall get the victory over the evil one4 ,in the strength of ,his might1 as we have already said1 it is our privilege to have victory over the ,devil every day of our lives1 every hour of the day and every minute in the hour4 ,hallelujah6 ,,xiv ,,is ,,there ,a ,,literal ,,hell8 ,in danger of the hell of fire4--,matt4 #e3bb4 ,my subject is ,is ,there a ,literal ,hell8 ,i wish that the things that ,i am going to preach to you were not true4 ,god wishes so1 too1 ,the ,lord is longsuffering to usward1 not wishing that any should perish1 but that all should come to repentance 7#b ,peter #c3i74 ,but ,god has made us in ,his own image1 with a moral nature1 with a capacity for self-determination1 with a power of choice2 and men can if they will choose darkness instead of light4 ,they can choose to trample ,god's saving love under foot4 ,they can choose to reject the ,one who was wounded for their transgressions and bruised for their iniquities1 and upon whom the chastisement of their peace was laid2 and some will so choose4 ,i am sorry that they will4 ,i would be willing to die to save them4 ,the ,lord ,jesus did die to save them4 ,but they spurn ,him4 ,so these things that ,i am to speak to-night are true and ,i am going to preach them in order that you may know them1 and in order that you may be sure of them4 ,i am going to preach about hell to keep as many of you as possible from going there4 ,is ,there a ,literal ,hell8 ,almost all intelligent people who believe that there is a future life at all1 believe that men and women who sin in the present life and who die impenitent and unsaved will be punished to some extent at least in the life that is to come4 ,they believe that whoever sins must suffer1 and that the suffering which sin causes will not be limited to this present life4 ,but1 while almost all intelligent people who believe in a future life at all believe that there is some kind of future punishment1 there are many that do not believe in a literal hell1 that is1 in a place of awful and unutterable torment4 ,is there a hell8 ,is there a place to which impenitent men and women will go some time after death and suffer agonies far beyond those that any one suffers here on earth8 ,some say1 yes1 there is a hell4 ,many1 even including not a few supposedly orthodox preachers1 say1 ,no1 the only hell is the inward hell in a man's heart4 ,how are we to settle this question8 ,how are we to determine who is right8 ,we cannot settle it as some are trying to settle it by counting noses4 ,majorities are not always right4 ,especially is it true that majorities are not always right in science and in philosophy and in theology4 ,what the majority of scientists firmly believed a century ago the majority of scientists laugh at to-day4 ,what the majority of philosophers once believed1 the majority of philosophers to-day regard as ridiculous4 ,so majorities cannot always be right4 ,and1 therefore1 we cannot settle this question by asking what the majority believe4 ,we cannot settle the question by reasoning as to what such a being as ,god must do1 for how can finite and foolish man judge what an infinitely holy and infinitely wise ,god would do8 ,man never appears more foolish than when he tries to reason out what an infinite ,god must do4 ,all these arguments about hell by reasoning as to what ,god must1 or must not1 do are stupid4 ,a child of seven cannot reason infallibly as to what a wise and good man of fifty will do1 much less can puny creatures of the dust 7such as you and ,i are1 such as the most learned philosophers and theologians are7 reason infallibly as to what an infinitely wise and infinitely holy ,god must do4 ,it is1 however1 far easier to believe in a literal hell1 and an everlasting hell1 from the standpoint of pure reasoning to-day than it was three years and a half ago4 ,nevertheless1 we cannot settle the question as to whether there is a literal hell by reasoning even to-day as to what such a being as ,god must do4 ,there is only one way to settle this question right1 that is by going to the ,bible and finding out what it says1 and taking our stand firmly and unhesitatingly upon that4 ,we have seen the last three ,sunday nights that the ,bible is beyond an honest question ,god's word1 so whatever the ,bible says on this subject1 or any other subject1 is true and is sure4 ,especially is it true that we must go to the ,bible and find what it says in the matter of future punishment and future blessedness4 ,all we know about the future is what the ,bible tells us4 ,all reasoning about the future outside of what the ,bible tells us is pure guessing1 it is a waste of time4 ,we know nothing about heaven but what the ,bible tells us1 and we know nothing about hell but what the ,bible tells us4 ,on a subject like this one ounce of ,god's revelation is worth a thousand tons of man's speculation4 ,the whole question is what does the ,bible say about ,hell8 ,but while we are dependent entirely upon the ,bible1 the ,bible clearly reveals all that we need to know4 ,the ,bible tells us a great deal about heaven1 and it tells us still more about hell1 and it is an interesting fact that the ,lord ,jesus ,himself1 whose authority many are ready to accept who do not accept the authority of the rest of the ,bible1 is the ,one ,who tells us the most about hell1 and the most clearly about hell4 ,indeed1 all that ,i am going to show you is what the ,lord ,jesus ,himself says on this subject4 ,i4 ,,hell ,,and ,,hades ,,are ,,not ,,the ,,same ,first of all1 in order to clear the way for the study of what ,jesus says on this subject1 let me call your attention to the fact that ,hell and ,hades are not the same4 ,there are numerous places in the ,authorised ,version where we find the word ,hell but where that word does not occur in the ,revised ,version1 and where the word ,hades is substituted for the word ,hell4 ,the ,revised ,version is right at that point1 as every ,greek scholar knows4 ,hades is not ,hell4 ,hades is the ,greek equivalent of the ,old ,testament ,hebrew word ,sheol4 ,this ,hebrew word ,sheol is frequently translated in the ,authorised ,version of the ,old ,testament by the ,english word ,grave4 ,it ought never to be so translated1 as it never means ,grave4 ,i have taken the pains to look up every passage where this ,hebrew word is used and in not a single instance does it mean ,grave4 ,there is an entirely different ,hebrew word which can properly be translated in that way4 ,sheol1 or ,new ,testament ,hades1 means the place of departed spirits4 ,sheol 7or ,hades7 before the coming1 life1 death1 resurrection1 and ascension of our ,lord1 was the place where all the spirits of the dead1 good and bad1 went4 ,before the ascension of ,christ1 in ,hades was ,paradise1 the place of the blessed dead1 and ,tartaros1 the place of the wicked dead4 ,at ,his ascension ,christ emptied the ,paradise of ,hades1 and took it up to ,heaven with ,him1 as we read in ,eph4 #d3h1 ,when he ascended on high1 he led captivity captive1 and gave gifts unto men4 ,before ,christ ascended ,paradise was down1 now it is up4 ,christ said to the repentant thief on the cross1 ,verily ,i say unto thee1 to-day shalt thou be with me in ,paradise1 and ,jesus ,himself taught us ,he went down into the heart of the earth 7,luke #ab3dj7 and the dying thief went down with ,him into this subterranean ,paradise4 ,i think ,jesus ,himself went also into that part of ,hades where the lost spirits were 7#a ,peter #c3ah-bj71 but that is another story that we will consider later4 ,all that is important now is that the repentant1 dying thief went down into ,paradise1 but after the ascension of the ,lord1 when ,paul went to ,paradise1 he was caught up even to the third heaven into ,paradise 7,,ii ,cor4 #ab3b-d74 ,no blessed dead are now left in ,hades1 and ultimately death and ,hades1 i4e41 all that are dead who have not yet been raised1 or caught up into the ,celestial ,paradise1 all who are still in ,hades1 shall be cast into the lake of fire 7,rev4 #bj3ad74 ,this lake of fire into which death and ,hades are to be cast1 is the true and ultimate ,hell4 ,,ii4 ,,there ,,is ,,to ,,be ,a ,,literal ,,hell ,having cleared the way by removing the misapprehension so common in the minds of people to-day1 that ,hades and ,hell are the same1 now let us say next that there is to be a ,hell4 ,the ,bible says so1 ,jesus says in ,matt4 #e3bb1 but ,i say unto you1 that every one who is angry with his brother1 shall be in danger of the judgment2 and whosoever shall say to his brother1 ,raca1 shall be in danger of the council2 and whosoever shall say1 ,thou fool1 shall be in danger of the hell of fire4 ,in the #bith verse of the same chapter the ,lord ,jesus says3 ,and if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble pluck it out1 and cast it from thee2 for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish1 and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell4 ,and in the #cjth verse ,he says3 ,and if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble1 cut it off1 and cast it from thee2 for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish1 and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell4 ,we read again what our ,lord ,jesus said in ,mark #i3de-dh1 and if thy foot causeth thee to stumble1 cut it off2 it is good for thee to enter into life halt1 rather than having thy two feet to be cast into hell4 ,and if thine eye causeth thee to stumble1 cast it out2 it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of ,god with one eye1 rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell2 where their worm dieth not1 and the fire is not quenched4 ,some one may say that these words of our ,lord are figurative4 ,there is not the slightest suggestion that they are figurative4 ,the whole context is against their being taken figuratively4 ,it is indeed wrong to interpret figurative language as if it were literal1 but it is just as unwarranted and just as wrong to interpret literal language as if it were figurative4 ,of course1 the word ,gehenna1 which is translated ,hell is derived from the valley of ,hinnom1 where in ancient times human sacrifices were offered1 but the use of the word is literal throughout the ,new ,testament1 though its derivation is figurative4 ,many words that are figurative in their derivation are literal in their use1 and the meaning of words is never determined by derivation1 but by usage4 ,for example1 our word eclipse is a figure of speech4 ,according to the figure it is a leaving or failing or fainting of the moon or sun1 whichever it may be that is eclipsed4 ,but though it is figurative in its derivation1 the ordinary usage of it is literal4 ,the universal use in the ,new ,testament of ,gehenna or ,hell is literal4 ,the word here translated ,hell is found twelve times in the ,new ,testament1 eleven of these twelve times it is used by our ,lord ,jesus ,himself1 and ,he uniformly uses it1 as in the passages which ,i have just read1 of a literal hell4 ,if there is no literal hell1 then our ,lord ,jesus was either a fool or a fraud4 ,he certainly meant to convey the impression that there was a literal hell4 ,there can be no doubt of that1 if we go to ,his words to find out what is the natural meaning of them4 ,if there is no literal hell then either ,jesus thought there was one when there was not1 in which case ,he was a fool2 or else ,he knew that there was not1 but tried to make men think that there was1 in which case ,he was a fraud4 ,there is no other alternative but either to believe that there is a literal hell or else to believe that ,jesus of ,nazareth1 our ,lord and ,saviour1 was a fool or a fraud4 ,i know that ,jesus was not a fool4 ,i know that ,he was the only begotten ,son of ,god1 that in ,him dwelt all the fullness of the ,godhead bodily1 that ,he and the ,father are one1 that all men should honour the ,son even as they honour the ,father4 ,i know that ,he spoke the very words of ,god1 therefore ,i know that there is a literal hell1 for ,he said so4 ,it is worthy of note1 furthermore1 that most of these words about hell that ,i have read you to-night are taken from the ,sermon on the ,mount1 the one part of the ,bible that pretty much all men claim to believe4 ,there are many who say they do not know about the ,bible as a whole1 but they do accept the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,well1 these passages are for the most part from the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,either accept this part of the ,sermon on the ,mount or else throw the whole thing overboard as the utterance of a fool or a fraud4 ,there is no other ground possible for any man who is willing to think things through4 ,,iii4 ,,is ,,the ,,fire ,,of ,,hell ,,literal ,,fire8 ,the next question that confronts us is1 ,is the fire of hell mentioned in some of the passages we have read1 literal fire8 ,this is not so vital a question as the question1 is there a literal hell1 but nevertheless it is an important question1 and ,i believe the question is plainly answered in the ,bible1 and plainly answered by ,jesus ,christ ,himself4 ,to turn again to the passage already referred to1 ,matt4 #e3bb1 we read3 ,but ,i say unto you1 that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment2 and whosoever shall say to his brother1 ,raca1 shall be in danger of the council2 and whosoever shall say1 ,thou fool1 shall be in danger of the hell of fire4 ,these are ,christ's own words4 ,he not only speaks of hell1 but a hell of fire1 and this too is from the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,in ,matt4 #ah3i the ,lord ,jesus says again1 ,and if thine eye cause thee to stumble1 pluck it out1 and cast it from thee2 it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye1 rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire4 ,and again in ,mark #i3dc-di1 the passage read a few moments ago1 we read1 ,and if thy hand cause thee to stumble1 cut it off2 it is good for thee to enter into life maimed1 rather than having thy two hands to go into hell1 into the unquenchable fire4 ,and if thy foot cause thee to stumble1 cut it off2 it is good for thee to enter into life halt1 rather than having thy two feet to be cast into hell4 ,and if thine eye cause thee to stumble1 cast it out2 it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of ,god with one eye1 rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell1 where the worm dieth not1 and the fire is not quenched4 ,here again some may say the fire is figurative4 ,turn to ,matt4 #ac3cj1 #da1 #db1 we read these words3 ,let both grow together until the harvest2 and in the time of harvest ,i will say to the reapers1 gather up first the tares1 and bind them in bundles to barn them2 but gather the wheat into my barn4 ,now here is a parable and we have figures and there would be warrant1 if this were all that we had1 for saying that the fire was figurative1 as other things in the verse are figurative2 but in the #dast and #dbnd verses of the same chapter we read1 ,the ,son of man shall send forth his angels1 and they shall gather out of ,his kingdom all things that cause stumbling1 and they that do iniquity1 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire2 there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth4 ,here we have the interpretation of the parable4 ,now in parables1 as already said1 we have figures1 but in the interpretation of parables we have the literal facts which the figures represent1 but we see clearly that here in the interpretation as well as in the parable1 we have fire4 ,everything else in the parable is explained1 every item in the parable except the fire1 but that remains fire in the interpretation of the parable as well as in the parable itself4 ,we find the same thing in another parable in verses #dg to #ej1 the parable of the net cast into the sea4 ,here1 also1 in the interpretation of the parable as well as in the parable itself we have fire4 ,every other figure of the parable is explained by the literal fact that it represents1 but in the interpretation of the parable we have fire4 ,in the light of these facts we cannot deny the literal fire of hell without doing violence to every reasonable law of interpretation4 ,furthermore still1 we read in ,rev4 #bj3ae that at the judgment of the great white throne1 and if any was not found written in the ,book of ,life1 he was cast into the lake of fire4 ,there is nothing in the whole context that suggests a figure4 ,and in the #bast chapter and the #hth verse we read3 ,but for the fearful1 and unbelieving1 and abominable1 and murderers1 and fornicators1 and sorcerers1 and idolators1 and all liars1 their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone2 which is the second death4 ,remember furthermore that the wicked in the eternal world are not mere disembodied spirits4 ,this is plain both from the ,old ,testament and the ,new4 ,we read in ,dan4 #ab3b3 ,and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake1 some to everlasting life1 and some to shame and everlasting contempt4 ,now this says them that sleep in the dust of the earth4 ,the soul departs into ,hades4 ,it is the body that crumbles into dust1 and it is the body that is to be raised4 ,in the ,new ,testament1 in ,john #e3bh1 #bi1 our ,lord is recorded as saying3 ,marvel not at this2 for the hour cometh1 in which all that are in the tombs shall hear ,his voice1 and shall come forth2 they that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life2 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of judgment4 ,now it is not the souls of men that are in the tombs1 it is the bodies of men1 and this passage teaches the resurrection of the bodies1 both of the good and of the wicked4 ,in ,i ,cor4 #ae3bb we read1 ,for as in ,adam all die1 so also in ,christ shall all be made alive4 ,what ,paul is talking about in this entire chapter is the resurrection of the body1 not merely the immortality of the soul1 and we are here distinctly told that every child of ,adam gets resurrection of his body in ,christ4 ,furthermore1 in ,matt4 #e3cj ,jesus says3 ,if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble1 cut it off1 and cast it from thee2 for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish1 and not thy whole body go into hell4 ,here in the plainest possible terms the body is spoken of as going into hell1 and in a similar way in ,matt4 #aj3bh1 the ,lord ,jesus says3 ,be not afraid of them that kill the body1 but are not able to kill the soul2 but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell4 ,from these plain and definite words of our ,lord it is plain as day that in the future life we are to have bodies1 and that the bodies of the lost are to have a place in a literal physical hell of fire4 ,while the bodily torments of hell fire are not the most appalling feature of hell1 while the mental agony1 the agony of remorse1 the agony of shame1 and the agony of despair1 is worse1 immeasurably worse2 nevertheless1 physical suffering1 a physical suffering to which no pain on earth is anything in comparison1 is a feature of hell4 ,,iv4 ,,is ,,the ,,lake ,,of ,,fire ,a ,,place ,,of ,,conscious ,,torment1 ,,or ,,is ,,it ,a ,,place ,,of ,,annihilation1 ,i4,e41 ,a ,,place ,,of ,,non-,,existence ,,or ,,is ,,it ,a ,,place ,,of ,,non-,,conscious ,,existence8 ,there is one other question that remains to be answered1 and that is1 is the lake of fire a place of conscious torment1 or is it a place of annihilation1 i4e41 a place of non-existence1 or is it a place of non-conscious existence8 ,there are those who believe in a literal hell1 but they do not believe that those who are consigned to it will consciously suffer there for any great length of time4 ,they hold either that those who are sent to hell are annihilated1 or else that they exist there in a non-conscious state4 ,of course1 this would be an everlasting hell1 and everlasting punishment1 but is it the hell that is taught in the ,bible8 ,is the lake of fire a place of continued conscious torment1 or is it a place of non-conscious existence8 ,in answer to this question let me call your attention to the fact that the punishment of the wicked is spoken of in the ,bible most frequently as ,death and ,destruction4 ,what do these words mean in biblical usage8 #a4 ,let us look first at the biblical usage of the word ,death4 ,many tell us1 time and time again1 that death means non-existence1 or at least non-conscious existence1 and therefore that is what it must mean in the passages where it is spoken of as the future punishment of the impenitent4 ,but does death as used in the ,bible mean either non-conscious existence1 or annihilation8 ,look first at #a ,tim4 #e3f2 here we read1 ,she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth4 ,death here certainly does not mean either non-existence1 or non-conscious existence4 ,the woman that lives in pleasure still exists1 and she certainly exists consciously1 but she is dead4 ,death means wrong existence rather than non-existence4 ,it is just the opposite of life1 and life in the ,new ,testament usage does not mean mere existence1 it means right existence4 ,god-like existence1 holy existence4 ,it means the ennoblement and glorification and deification of existence2 and death means just the opposite1 it means wrong existence1 debased existence1 the ruin1 the shame1 and the ignominy and the despair of existence4 ,in a similar way we are told in ,eph4 #b3a1 that men until they are quickened1 or made alive1 by the power of ,god are ,dead in trespasses and sins4 ,it is perfectly clear then that death does not mean either non-existence1 or non-conscious existence4 ,but even more decisive than this is the fact that ,god ,himself has defined death very accurately and very fully in ,rev4 #ba3h3 ,but the fearful and unbelieving1 and the abominable1 and murderers1 and whoremongers1 and sorcerers1 and idolators1 and all liars1 shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone2 which is the second death4 ,here we are told in so many words that the death which is the final outcome of persistent sin and unbelief is a portion in the place of torment1 the lake of fire4 ,that this lake of fire is a place of conscious suffering is made clear in the preceding chapter1 ,rev4 #bj3aj1 where we are told that the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone1 where the beast and the false prophet are1 and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever4 ,the beast and false prophet had already been there a thousand years when the devil was cast into the lake of fire1 and they were tormented consciously1 without rest4 #b4 ,now let us look at what ,destruction means in the ,new ,testament4 ,we are told by a certain school of religious thought that destruction means destruction4 ,yes1 destruction means destruction1 but what does destruction mean8 ,they say it means annihilation1 or ceasing to be1 but the ,greek word so translated never means that in the ,bible1 nor even out of the ,bible4 ,in the best ,greek-,english lexicon of the ,new ,testament extant1 ,thayer's translation of ,grimm's great work1 we are told that when a thing is said to perish 7and the verb from which the noun commonly translated destruction and perdition is derived1 is the one translated to perish7 it is not meant that it ceases to be1 but that it is so ruined that it no longer subserves the use for which it was designed4 ,furthermore1 here again ,god has been careful to define ,his terms4 ,he ,himself has given us in the ,bible a definition of destruction4 ,we read in ,rev4 #ag3h1 #aa3 ,the beast that thou sawest was1 and is not2 and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit1 and go into perdition2 and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder 4 4 4 and the beast that was1 and is not1 even he is the eighth1 and is of the seven1 and goeth into perdition4 ,here we are told that the beast goes into perdition4 ,the word here translated perdition is precisely the same word that is elsewhere translated destruction and should be so translated here2 or else in the other instances it should be translated1 as here1 perdition4 ,now if we can find what the beast goes into1 then we shall know exactly what destruction means1 for we are told that he goeth into destruction4 ,in the #aith chapter of ,revelation1 the #bjth verse1 we are told exactly where the beast goes3 ,and the beast was taken1 and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him1 with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast1 and them that worshipped his image4 ,these both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone4 ,now looking forward to the next chapter1 the #ajth verse1 which ,i have already quoted1 we read3 ,and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone1 where are also the beast and the false prophet1 and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever4 ,putting these passages together we see that the beast goeth into destruction1 and the destruction into which he goes is a place in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone1 where for a thousand years he is in conscious torment1 and where after the thousand years are over he is still there and is still tormented4 ,so then destruction is clearly defined in the ,new ,testament in the same way in which death is defined1 as the condition of beings in a place of conscious torment4 ,again in ,rev4 #ad3aj1 #aa1 we read regarding those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in their foreheads or in their hands3 ,the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of ,god1 which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation2 and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels1 and in the presence of the ,lamb2 and the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever2 and they have no rest day nor night1 who worship the beast and his image1 and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name4 ,the ,bible makes it clear as language can make it that the lake of fire to which whoever is not written in the ,lamb's book of life is consigned1 is a place of continued1 conscious torment4 ,there is no escaping the clear teaching of the ,word of ,god unless we throw our ,bibles away and discredit the teaching of the ,apostles and the teaching of ,jesus ,christ ,himself4 ,next ,sunday night we will take up the question1 ,is the ,punishment of the ,wicked ,everlasting1 but we must stop at this point to-night4 ,sherman said1 ,war is hell4 ,of course1 in the way in which ,sherman meant it1 this is true4 ,it is far more true of war to-day than it was in the worst and most inexcusable phases of our ,civil ,war--,libby and ,andersonville1 for example1 on the part of the ,south1 and the march through ,georgia on the part of the ,north4 ,but even war to-day as carried on by ,germany in all its appalling frightfulness1 is not hell4 ,hell is incomparably more awful than the war now raging in ,europe1 and this awful hell of which we have been studying to-night is the destiny of some of you here in this room1 unless you soon repent and accept the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,other appalling facts about hell we will take up next ,sunday night1 but we have already seen enough to make any true ,christian determine to work with all his might to save others from this awful hell4 ,and we have seen enough to make every honest and sensible person here to-night determine to escape this awful hell at any cost4 ,,xv ,,is ,,future ,,punishment ,,everlasting8 ,jesus ,christ plainly taught that there was to be a literal hell and that this hell would be a place of conscious suffering1 suffering far beyond that experienced by any one here in this present life1 but we are faced by another question of great importance1 ,is this future1 conscious suffering of the impenitent to be endless8 ,there are many who believe in future punishment of a very severe and awful character1 and who indeed believe in a literal hell of awful1 conscious suffering1 but they deny1 or at least doubt1 that this future hell will be a place of endless1 conscious suffering4 ,many of them admit and teach that the suffering may go on for a long time1 and perhaps for thousands of years1 but they hold that it will end at last and that all men will ultimately come to repentance1 accept ,jesus ,christ1 and be saved4 ,what is the exact truth about the matter8 ,we cannot decide this by asking what the majority of supposedly reliable theologians believe1 for majorities are often wrong and minorities are often right4 ,neither can we decide it by reasoning as to what such a being as ,god is must do4 ,it is impossible for finite and foolish men such as we are1 and such as the wisest philosophers and theologians are1 to judge what an ,infinitely wise and ,infinitely holy ,god must do4 ,all reasonings by finite men as to what an ,infinitely wise ,god must do are utterly futile and an utter waste of time4 ,all we know about the future is what ,god has been pleased to tell us in ,his ,word4 ,the ,bible1 as we have seen1 is beyond a question the ,word of ,god1 and therefore what it has to say on this subject1 or any other subject1 is true and absolutely sure1 and in a question of this character one ounce of ,god's revelation is worth more than a thousand tons of man's speculation4 ,the whole question then is1 what does the ,bible teach in regard to this matter8 ,i4 ,,what ,,the ,,bible ,,teaches ,,regarding ,,the ,,endlessness ,,of ,,future ,,punishment #a4 ,to find out exactly what the ,bible teaches as to the endlessness of future punishment let us turn first of all to the words of our ,lord ,jesus ,himself in ,matt4 #be3df 7,r4 ,v471 ,and these shall go away into eternal punishment3 but the righteous into eternal life4 ,the first question that confronts us in studying this passage is what the word aionios 7aionion7 which is here translated eternal means4 ,the best ,greek-,english dictionary of the ,new ,testament is ,thayer's4 ,in this dictionary ,thayer after a careful study of the word1 its derivation and its usage1 gives these three definitions of the word1 and these three only3 7#a7 ,without beginning or end1 that which always has been and always will be4 7#b7 ,without beginning4 7#c7 ,without end1 never to cease1 everlasting4 ,it is frequently said that the word aionios according to its derivation means age-lasting1 and therefore may refer to a limited period4 ,even admitting this to be true1 we should bear in mind that the meaning of words is not determined by their derivation but by their usage1 and the most important question is not what the derivation of this word may be1 but as to how it is used in the ,new ,testament4 ,it is used #gb times in the ,new ,testament4 ,forty-four of these #gb times it is used in the phrase eternal life1 or as it is sometimes rendered1 everlasting life4 ,no one questions that everlasting life is endless and that in connection with the word life age lasting 7if that be its proper derivation of the word7 means lasting through all ages1 never ending4 ,once it is used in connection with the word habitations1 referring to the habitations which the blessed are to have in the world to come1 and1 of course1 these also are never-ending4 ,once it is used of the weight of glory that in the world to come awaits the believer in ,jesus ,christ who endures affliction for ,christ in the life that now is4 ,in this case again1 of course1 by universal consent it means endless4 ,once it is used of the house not made with hands that believers in ,christ are to receive at the coming of the ,lord ,jesus 7,,ii ,cor4 #e3a-h74 ,of course1 this house not made with hands is everlasting4 ,in fact the very point that is being brought forward in this passage is the contrast between our present bodies which are but for a brief time and our resurrection bodies which are to exist throughout all eternity4 ,once it is used of the future unseen things that never end1 contrasted with the present seen things that are for a season 7,,ii ,cor4 #d3ah74 ,of course1 these are never-ending4 ,that is the very point that is being brought out in the contrast4 ,once it is used of the everlasting comfort 7,r4 ,v47 or consolation 7,a4 ,v47 that our ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself1 and ,god our ,father give us1 and that is certainly never ending4 ,twice it is used of the glory that those in ,christ obtain 7,,ii ,tim4 #b3aj74 ,that1 of course1 by universal consent is endless4 ,once it is used of the salvation ,christ brings1 which is beyond question never ending4 ,once 7,heb4 #i3ab7 it is used of the redemption that ,jesus ,christ secures for us by ,his blood4 ,this redemption is never ending4 ,in fact1 the chief point of contrast in the context in this case is between the temporary redemption secured by the constantly repeated sacrifices of the ,mosaic ritual and the never ending redemption secured by the perfect sacrifice of ,christ made once for all4 ,once it is used of the inheritance that those who are in ,christ receive 7,heb4 #i3ae74 ,here again beyond a question it is never ending4 ,once it is used of the everlasting covenant through ,christ's blood contrasted with the temporary covenant1 based on the blood of bulls and goats1 given through ,moses4 ,here again it necessarily and emphatically means never ending4 ,that is the very point at issue4 ,once it is used of the everlasting kingdom of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ 7,,ii ,peter #a3aa71 and we are told in ,luke #a3cc1 of ,his kingdom there shall be no end4 ,once it is used of everlasting gospel 7or good news7 and that1 of course1 also never ends4 ,once it is used of the everlasting ,god 7,rom4 #af3bf7 and ,he certainly endures not merely through long ages1 but without end4 ,once it is used of the ,holy ,spirit who is called the eternal 7or everlasting7 ,spirit1 and ,he certainly endures1 not merely through long ages1 but throughout an absolutely endless eternity4 ,this covers fifty-nine of the seventy-two times it is used1 and in these fifty-nine instances the thought of endlessness is absolutely necessary to the sense1 and in not a single one of the thirteen remaining times where it is used is it used of anything that is known to end4 ,if usage can determine the meaning of any word then certainly the ,new ,testament use of this word determines it to mean never ending1 or1 as ,thayer defines it1 without end1 never to cease1 everlasting4 ,nor is this all1 ,god ,himself determines it to mean never ending3 ,he defines it to mean never-ending by specifically using it in contrast with that which does end4 ,for example1 in #b ,cor4 #d3ah we read1 ,while we look not on the things which are seen1 but the things which are unseen3 for the things which are seen are temporal 7literally1 for a season72 but the things which are not seen are eternal4 ,here the whole point is that the unseen things in distinction from the seen which are for a season are for a never ending duration4 ,but even allowing that the word according to its usage could be used of that which1 though it last throughout an age1 or ages1 has an end2 even if that were true 7which it is not71 then the meaning of the word in any given instance would have to be determined by the context in which it is found4 ,now what is the context in the passage which we are studying8 ,let us read it again1 ,and these shall go away into eternal punishment3 but the righteous into eternal life4 ,the same ,greek adjective is used in connection with punishment and with life4 7,in the ,authorised ,version it is differently rendered1 but in the ,greek and in the ,revised ,version it is exactly the same47 ,certainly this qualifying adjective must mean the same in the one half of the sentence that it means in the other half of the sentence4 ,we must at least admit that ,jesus ,christ was an honest man1 and ,he certainly was too honest to juggle with words3 ,he would not use a word to mean one thing in one half of a sentence and something utterly different in the other half4 ,he evidently sought to convey the impression that the punishment of the unsaved was of the same duration as the life of the saved4 ,no one questions that the life is endless4 ,it would be the destruction of all our hopes if it were not endless4 ,therefore1 if we are to deal honestly with our ,lord's words1 ,he taught that the punishment of the unsaved was to be endless4 ,we have exactly the same reason in ,god's ,word for believing in endless punishment that we have for believing in endless life4 ,if you give up the one you must give up the other1 or else deal dishonestly with the words of ,jesus ,christ4 #b4 ,we might rest the case here and call it proven1 but let us turn to another passage1 ,rev4 #ad3i-aa1 ,and another angel1 a third1 followed them1 saying with a great voice1 ,if any man worshipeth the beast and his image and receiveth a mark on his forehead1 or upon his hand1 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of ,god1 which is prepared unmixed in the cup of ,his anger2 and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels1 and in the presence of the ,lamb3 and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever2 and they have no rest day and night1 they that worship the beast and his image1 and whoso receiveth the mark of his name4 ,here we have another expression for the duration of the punishment and suffering of the impenitent1 the expression rendered for ever and ever4 ,there are in the ,greek two slightly differing forms of expression that are so translated4 ,the one form of expression literally rendered is unto the ages of the ages1 the other form is unto ages of ages4 ,what thought do these expressions convey4 ,it has been said by those who seek to escape the force of these words as referring to absolute endlessness1 that the expression is a ,hebraism for the supreme one of its class1 and as an illustration of the same alleged ,hebraism the expressions1 ,lord of ,lords and ,holy of ,holies are cited4 ,but this is not so4 ,in the first place1 the form of neither of the two expressions is the same2 and1 in the second place1 that is not the meaning of the expression ,the ,lord of ,lords or the meaning of the expression ,the ,holy of ,holies4 ,the expression ,lord of ,lords does not mean merely the supreme ,lord1 but one who is ,himself ,lord of all other ,lords1 and this expression unto the ages of the ages never means merely the ages which are the supreme ages in distinction from other ages 7nor as another puts it1 the ages which come out of the other ages1 i4e41 the closing ages before eternity74 ,the expression according to its form means ages which are themselves composed of ages4 ,it represents not years tumbling upon years1 nor centuries tumbling upon centuries1 but ages tumbling upon ages in endless procession4 ,it is the strongest possible form of expression for absolute endlessness4 ,furthermore1 the way to determine conclusively what the expression means is by considering its usage4 ,usage is always the decisive thing in determining the meaning of words and phrases4 ,what is the usage of these expressions in the book from which we have taken our passage8 ,these expressions are used twelve times in this book4 ,in eight of the twelve times they refer to the duration of the existence1 or reign1 or glory of ,god and ,his ,son1 ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,of course1 in these instances it must stand not merely for the supreme ages1 or any individual ages1 it must refer to absolute eternity and endlessness4 ,once it is used of the duration of the blessed reign of the righteous1 and1 of course1 here again it refers to an endless eternity3 and in the three remaining instances it is used of the duration of the torment of the ,devil1 the ,beast1 the ,false ,prophet1 and the finally impenitent4 ,it is urged by those who would deny that the expression means an absolutely endless eternity1 that it is used in ,rev4 #aa3ae1 where we are told that the kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our ,lord1 and of ,his ,christ3 and ,he shall reign for ever and ever 7unto the ages of the ages71 and that we are told in #a ,cor4 #ae3bd that ,christ shall deliver up the kingdom to ,god1 even the ,father2 and that therefore ,his kingdom must come to an end1 and consequently for ever and ever in this passage cannot mean without end4 ,there are two answers to this objection1 either of which is sufficient4 ,the first is that the he in he shall reign for ever and ever in ,rev4 #aa3ae1 does not necessarily refer to the ,christ1 but rather to the ,lord ,jehovah1 in which case the argument falls to the ground4 ,the second answer is that while we are taught in ,i ,cor4 #ae3bd1 etc41 that ,jesus ,christ will deliver up ,his mediatorial kingdom to the ,father1 nevertheless we are distinctly taught that ,he shall rule with the ,father1 and we are told in so many words in ,luke #a3cc that of ,his kingdom there shall be no end1 so that even if the he in ,rev4 #aa3ae referred to the ,christ and not to the ,lord ,jehovah1 still the statement would be exactly correct that ,he1 the ,christ1 was to reign for ever and ever1 i4e41 without end4 ,there is not a single passage in the whole book in which this expression is used of anything but that which is absolutely endless4 ,so the question is answered again and answered decisively that the conscious suffering of the persistently impenitent is absolutely endless4 #c4 ,now let us look at another passage1 ,,ii ,thess4 #a3g-i3 ,the ,lord ,jesus shall be revealed from heaven with ,his mighty angels1 in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not ,god1 and that obey not the gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ3 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the ,lord1 and from the glory of ,his power4 ,here we are told that the punishment of those that know not ,god and obey not the gospel is everlasting destruction4 ,what does everlasting destruction mean8 ,in ,rev4 #ag3h1 #aa we are told that the beast goeth into destruction1 so if we can find out where the beast goes1 or into what he goes1 we shall know what destruction means in the ,bible usage4 ,in ,rev4 #ai3bj we are told that the beast was taken1 and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight1 wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image3 they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone1 so we see that destruction is a portion in the lake of fire4 ,and in the next chapter1 ,rev4 #bj3aj1 we are told that ,the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone1 where are also the beast and the false prophet 7after having already been there for one thousand years1 see context72 and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever4 ,so we see that destruction means a portion in the lake of fire where its inhabitants are consciously suffering without cessation for ever and ever4 ,it is clear then1 from a comparison of ,,ii ,thess4 #a3g-i with these passages1 that those who know not ,god and obey not the gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ shall be punished with never-ending1 conscious suffering4 #d4 ,let us look at one more passage1 ,matt4 #be3da 7these again are the words of the ,lord ,jesus ,himself73 ,then shall he say also unto them on the left hand1 ,depart from me1 ye cursed1 into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels4 ,what ,i wish you to notice here is that the punishment into which the impenitent are sent is the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels4 ,we have an exact description of just what the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels is in the passage read a few moments ago1 ,rev4 #bj3aj3 ,and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where are also the beast and the false prophet2 and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever4 ,by a comparison of these two statements we have another explicit declaration of our ,lord that the punishment of the impenitent is to be a conscious agony1 where they are punished without rest day and night for ever and ever4 ,from any one of these passages and especially from all taken together1 it is clear that the ,scriptures make it as plain as language can make it that ,,the ,,future ,,punishment ,,of ,,the ,,persistently ,,impenitent ,,is ,,absolutely ,,endless4 ,,ii4 ,,objections ,there are several passages of ,scripture which those who believe that all men will ultimately repent and be brought to accept ,christ and thus saved1 urge against what seems to be the plain teaching of the passages we have been studying4 #a4 ,the first of these is #a ,peter #c3ah-bj3 ,because ,christ also suffered for sins once1 the righteous for the unrighteous1 that he might bring us to ,god2 being put to death in the flesh1 but made alive in the spirit2 in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison1 that aforetime were disobedient1 when the longsuffering of ,god waited in the days of ,noah1 while the ark was a preparing1 wherein few1 that is1 eight souls1 were saved through water4 ,it is urged that as ,christ went and preached to the spirits in prison there will be another chance after men have died4 ,but this the passage in question does not assert or imply in any way4 7#a7 ,first of all there is no proof that the spirits in prison refers to the departed spirits of men who once lived here on earth4 ,in the ,bible departed spirits of men are not spoken of in this way4 ,these words are used of other spirits1 but not of human spirits disembodied1 and there is every reason for supposing that these spirits in prison were not the sinful men that were on earth when the ark was preparing1 but the angels who sinned at that time1 just as we are told in ,gen4 #f3a1 #b that they did sin 7cf4 ,jude #f1 #g74 7#b7 ,furthermore1 even if the spirits in prison here spoken of were the spirits of men who were disobedient in the time of ,noah1 there is not a hint in the passage that they were saved through the preaching of ,christ to them1 or that they had another chance4 ,there are two words commonly used in the ,new ,testament for preaching1 one is kerusso and the other is euaggelizo4 ,the first of these means to herald1 as to herald a king1 or to herald the kingdom4 ,it may1 however1 be used of preaching a message1 the gospel message or some other message4 ,the second word euaggelizo1 means to preach the gospel4 ,in the passage that we are studying it is the first word that is used1 and there is not a hint that ,christ preached the gospel to these spirits in prison4 ,he simply heralded the triumph of the kingdom4 ,it was not a saving message4 ,so there is nothing in this passage to put up even inferentially against the plain1 direct statements regarding the destiny of the wicked found in the passages we have been studying4 #b4 ,the second passage that is appealed to by those who deny the endlessness of future punishment is ,phil4 #b3i-aa3 ,wherefore also ,god highly exalted ,him1 and gave unto ,him the name which is above every name2 that in the name of ,jesus every knee should bow1 of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth1 and that every tongue should confess that ,jesus ,christ is ,lord1 to the glory of ,god the ,father4 ,here it is said1 we are told1 that all those under the earth as well as in heaven and on earth should bow the knee in the name of ,jesus and confess that ,jesus ,christ is ,lord1 and that this implies that they are saved4 ,but it does not imply that they are saved4 ,every knee of lost men and of the devil and his angels too will be forced some day to bow in the name of ,jesus and every tongue forced to confess that ,he is ,lord4 ,if any one does that in the present life of his own free choice1 he will be saved1 but otherwise he will do it by compulsion in the age to come and every one has his choice between doing it now willingly and gladly and being saved1 or doing it by compulsion hereafter and being lost4 ,there is absolutely nothing in this passage to teach universal salvation or to militate even inferentially against the plain statements we have been studying4 #c4 ,the third passage that is appealed to is ,acts #c3ai-ba3 ,repent ye therefore1 and turn again1 that your sins may be blotted out1 that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the ,lord2 and that ,he may send the ,christ who hath been appointed for you1 even ,jesus3 ,whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things whereof ,god spake by the mouth of ,his holy prophets that have been from of old4 ,here we are told of a coming restoration of all things and those who contend for the doctrine of universal salvation hold that this means the restoration to righteousness of all persons4 ,but that is not what it says1 and that is not what it refers to4 ,we are taught in ,old ,testament prophecy and also in the book of ,romans1 that in connection with the return of our ,lord ,jesus there is to be a restoration of all nature1 of the whole physical universe1 from its fallen state4 ,for example1 in ,rom4 #h3ai-ba we read3 ,for the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of ,god4 ,for the creation was subjected to vanity1 not of its own will1 but by reason of him who subjected it1 in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of ,god4 ,and in ,isa4 #ee3ac we read3 ,instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree2 and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree3 and it shall be to ,jehovah for a name1 for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off4 ,and in ,isa4 #fe3be we are told3 ,the wolf and the lamb shall feed together1 and the lion shall eat straw like the ox2 and dust shall be the serpent's food4 ,they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain1 saith ,jehovah1 and in ,isa4 #cb3ae1 we are told that until the ,spirit be poured upon us from on high1 and the wilderness become a fruitful field1 and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest4 ,it is to this restoration of the physical universe1 here plainly predicted in ,rom4 #h3ai-ba and these ,old ,testament prophecies1 that the restoration of all things spoken of in ,acts #c3ba refers4 ,there is not a hint1 not the slightest suggestion1 of a restoration of impenitent sinners4 #d4 ,still another passage that is urged is ,eph4 #a3i1 #aj1 where we read3 ,having made known unto us the mystery of ,his will according to ,his good pleasure which ,he purposed in ,him unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times1 to sum up all things in ,christ1 the things in the heavens1 and the things upon the earth4 ,here it is urged that things in heaven and things in earth are to be summed up in ,christ4 ,this is true1 but it should be noticed that the ,holy ,spirit has specifically omitted here the phrase that is found in ,phil4 #b3aj1 the things under the earth1 that is the abode of the lost1 so this passage1 so far from suggesting that the lost ones in hell will be restored1 suggests exactly the opposite thing4 ,there is then certainly nothing in this passage to militate even inferentially against the plain statements we have been studying4 #e4 ,one more passage that is urged against the doctrine we have been studying remains to be considered1 that is #a ,cor4 #ae3bb4 ,here we read1 ,for as in ,adam all died1 so also in ,christ shall all be made alive4 ,it is urged in connection with this passage that we are distinctly told here that all who die in ,adam1 that is every human being1 shall be made alive in ,christ1 and that made alive means obtain eternal life1 or be saved4 ,for years ,i thought that this was the true interpretation of this passage1 and for that reason in part1 ,i held and preached at that time that all men ultimately1 some time1 somewhere1 somehow1 would be brought to accept ,jesus ,christ and be saved2 but when ,i came to study the passage more carefully ,i saw that this was a misinterpretation of the passage4 ,every passage in the ,bible1 or in any other book1 must be interpreted in its context4 ,the whole subject that ,paul is talking about in this chapter is not eternal life1 not the immortality of the soul1 but the resurrection of the body1 and all this passage declares is that as all lose physical life in ,adam1 so also all will obtain a resurrection of the body in ,christ4 ,whether that resurrection of the body is a resurrection to everlasting life or a resurrection to shame and everlasting contempt 7,dan4 #ab3b7 depends entirely upon what men do with the ,christ in whom they get it4 ,there is absolutely nothing here to teach universal salvation4 ,it only teaches a universal resurrection1 resurrection of the wicked as well as of the righteous4 ,to sum up the teaching of all these passages that are so often urged to prove universal salvation1 there is nothing in any one of the passages1 nor in all of them together1 to teach that all men will ultimately be saved1 and there is nothing in them to in any way conflict with what we have seen to be the honest meaning of the passages studied above1 namely1 that the future punishment of sin is absolutely endless4 ,there is not a passage to be found in the ,bible that teaches universal salvation1 or that all men will ultimately come to repentance and be saved4 ,i wish that there were1 but there is not4 ,i have been searching diligently for such a passage for nearly forty years and ,i have not found it1 and it cannot be found4 ,,iii4 ,,where ,,are ,,the ,,issues ,,of ,,eternity ,,settled8 ,there remains one other important question2 and that is1 where are the issues of eternity settled4 ,there are those who believe that the punishment of the persistently impenitent is everlasting1 that it has no end1 but they also believe that the issues of eternity are not settled in the life that now is1 but that with many they are settled after death and that when men die impenitent they will have another chance4 ,believing in endless punishment does not necessarily involve believing that there is no chance after death4 ,there are many who believe that there will be a chance after death1 and that many will accept it1 who also believe that some will not accept it and will therefore be punished for ever and ever4 ,now what is the teaching of the ,word of ,god on this point8 ,let me call your attention to four passages1 any one of which settles the question1 and taken together they leave no possible room for doubt for any candid man who is willing to take the ,bible as meaning what it says1 any man who is really trying to find out what the ,bible teaches and not merely trying to support a theory4 #a4 ,the first passage in #b ,cor4 #e3aj3 ,for we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of ,christ2 that each one may receive the things done in the body1 according to what he hath done1 whether it be good or bad4 ,in this passage we are plainly told that the basis of judgment in the world to come is the things done in the body1 i4e41 the things done this side the grave1 the things done before we shuffle off this mortal coil1 the things done before the spirit leaves the body4 ,of course1 this particular passage has to do primarily with the judgment of the believer1 but it shows what the basis of future judgment is1 viz41 the things done this side of the grave4 #b4 ,the second passage is ,heb4 #i3bg3 ,it is appointed unto men once to die1 and after this cometh judgment4 ,here we are distinctly told that after death there is to be1 not an opportunity to prepare for judgment1 but judgment1 and that1 therefore1 our destiny is settled at death1 and that there is no chance of salvation after death4 #c4 ,the third passage is ,john #e3bh1 #bi3 ,marvel not at this3 for the hour cometh1 in which all that are in the tombs shall hear ,his voice1 and shall come forth2 they that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life2 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of judgment4 ,here also it is clearly implied that the resurrection of good and bad is for the purpose of judgment regarding the things done before their bodies were laid in their graves4 #d4 ,a fourth passage1 if possible more decisive than any of these1 gives our ,lord's words1 ,john #h3ba3 ,he said therefore again unto them2 ,i go away1 and ye shall seek me1 and shall die in your sin1 whither ,i go1 ye cannot come4 ,here our ,lord distinctly declares that the question whether men shall come to be with ,him or not depends upon what they do before they die1 that if they die impenitent1 if they die in their sins1 that whither ,he goes they cannot come4 ,to sum up the teaching of all these passages1 the issues of eternity1 the issues of eternal life or eternal destruction1 the issues of eternal blessedness and glory1 or eternal agony and shame1 are settled in the life that now is4 ,,iv4 ,,conclusion ,the future state of those who reject in the life that now is the redemption offered to them in ,christ ,jesus is plainly declared in the ,word of ,god to be a state of conscious1 unutterable1 endless torment and anguish4 ,this conception is an appalling one1 but it is the ,scriptural conception4 ,it is the unmistakable1 inescapable teaching of ,god's own word4 ,i wish that all men would repent and accept ,christ4 ,if any one could show me one single passage in the ,bible that clearly taught that all men would ultimately repent1 accept ,christ and be saved1 it would be the happiest day of my life1 but it cannot be found4 ,i once thought it could1 and ,i so believed and taught4 ,these ideas so widely noised about to-day as something new1 these theories of ,pastor ,russell1 formerly of ,pittsburg1 ,mr4 ,gelesnoff of this city1 and ,dr4 ,mabie of ,long ,beach1 and ,mr4 ,pridgeon of ,pittsburg1 and many others1 are not at all new to me4 ,i held and taught substantially the same views regarding ultimate universal salvation years before these men were heard of1 indeed nearly forty years ago4 ,i was familiar with the arguments that they now urge1 and other arguments which they do not seem to know1 but which were to me more decisive than those that they urge4 ,but the time came1 as ,i studied the ,bible more carefully1 when ,i could not reconcile my teaching with what ,i found to be the unmistakable teaching of ,god's ,word4 ,i had to do one of three things3 ,i had to either give up my belief that the ,bible was the ,word of ,god1 or else ,i must twist the words of ,jesus 7and others in the ,new ,testament7 to mean something else than what they clearly appeared to teach1 or else ,i must give up my doctrine of ultimate universal restoration and salvation4 ,i could not give up my faith that the ,bible was the ,word of ,god1 for ,i had found absolutely overwhelming proof that it was ,god's ,word4 ,i could not twist the words of ,jesus and of others to mean something else than what was clearly their intended meaning1 for ,i was an honest man4 ,there was only one thing left to do and that was to give up my doctrine of universal restoration and salvation4 ,i gave it up with great reluctance1 but ,i was compelled to give it up or be untrue to my own reason and conscience4 ,it is the inescapable teaching of the ,word of ,god that all who go out of this world without having accepted ,jesus ,christ1 will spend eternity in hell1 in a hell of unutterable1 conscious anguish4 ,this ,bible conception is also a reasonable one when we come to see the appalling nature of sin1 and especially the appalling nature of the sin of trampling under foot ,god's mercy toward sinners1 and rejecting ,god's glorious ,son1 ,whom in ,his love ,he has provided as a ,saviour4 ,shallow views of sin and of ,god's holiness and of the glory of ,jesus ,christ lie at the bottom of weak theories of the doom of the impenitent4 ,when we see ,sin in all its hideousness and enormity1 the ,holiness of ,god in all its perfection1 and the ,glory of ,jesus ,christ in all its infinity1 nothing but a doctrine that those who persist in the choice of sin1 who love darkness rather than light1 and who persist in the rejection of the ,son of ,god1 shall endure everlasting anguish1 will satisfy the demands of our own moral intuitions4 ,nothing but the fact that we dread suffering more than we loathe sin1 and more than we love the glory of ,jesus ,christ1 makes us repudiate the thought that beings who eternally choose sin should eternally suffer1 or that men who despise ,god's mercy and spurn ,his ,son should be given over to endless anguish4 ,if1 after men have sinned and ,god still offers them mercy1 and makes the tremendous sacrifice of ,his ,son to save them--if they still despise that mercy and trample ,god's ,son under foot1 if then they are consigned to everlasting torment1 ,i cannot but say1 ,amen6 ,hallelujah6 ,true and righteous are thy judgments1 ,o ,lord6 ,at all events the doctrine of conscious1 eternal torment for impenitent men is clearly revealed in the ,word of ,god1 and whether we can defend it on philosophical grounds or not1 it is our business to believe it2 and leave it to the clearer light of eternity to explain what we cannot now understand1 realising that ,god may have many infinitely wise reasons for doing things for which we in our ignorance can see no sufficient reason at all4 ,it is the most ludicrous conceit for beings so limited and foolish as the wisest of men are1 to attempt to dogmatise how a ,god of infinite wisdom must act4 ,all we know as to how ,god is to act is what ,god has seen fit to tell us4 ,in conclusion1 two things are certain4 ,first1 the more closely men walk with ,god and the more devoted they become in ,his service1 the more likely they are to believe this doctrine4 ,many there are who tell us they love their fellow men too much to believe this doctrine2 but the men who show their love in more practical ways than by sentimental protestations about it1 the men who show their love for their fellow men as ,jesus ,christ showed ,his1 by laying down their lives for them1 they believe this doctrine1 even as ,jesus ,christ ,himself believed it4 ,as ,christians become worldly and easy-going they grow loose in their doctrine concerning the doom of the impenitent4 ,the fact that loose doctrines are spreading so rapidly and widely in our day is nothing for them1 but against them1 for worldliness is also spreading in the church 7#a ,tim4 #d3a2 #b ,tim4 #c3a2 #d3b1 #c74 ,increasing laxity of life and increasing laxity of doctrine go arm in arm4 ,second1 men who accept a loose doctrine regarding the ultimate penalty of sin1 be it ,universalism1 ,restorationism1 or ,annihilationism1 or that fantastic combination1 or conglomeration1 of them all1 ,millennial ,dawnism1 lose their power for ,god4 ,i have seen this proven over and over again4 ,these men may be and are very clever at argument1 and very zealous in proselyting1 but they are seldom found beseeching men to be reconciled to ,god4 ,they are far more likely to be found trying to upset the faith of those already won by the efforts of those who do believe in everlasting punishment than trying to win men who have no faith at all4 ,if you really believe the doctrine of the endless torment of the impenitent1 if the doctrine really gets hold of you1 you will work as you never worked before for the salvation of the lost4 ,if you in any wise abate the doctrine1 it will abate your zeal4 ,time and time again ,i have come up to this awful doctrine and tried to find some way of escape from it1 but when ,i have failed1 as ,i always have failed at last1 when ,i have determined to be honest with the ,bible and myself1 ,i have returned to my work with an increased burden for souls and an intensified determination to spend and be spent for their salvation4 ,eternal1 conscious suffering1 suffering without the least ray of hope of relief1 awaits every one of you here to-night who goes on persistently rejecting ,jesus ,christ1 as you are rejecting ,him to-night1 and who shall pass out of this world having rejected ,him4 ,in that world of never ending gloom there will be no possibility of repentance4 ,as you look out into the future there will not be one single ray of hope4 ,forever and ever will be the unceasing wail of that restless sea of fire4 ,after you have been there ten million years and look out toward the future you will see eternity still stretching on and on and on and on1 with no hope4 ,oh1 men and women out of ,christ1 why will you risk such a doom for a single year1 or a month1 or a week1 or a day8 ,hell is too awful to risk for five minutes the chance of going there4 ,there is but one rational thing for you to do1 that is to accept ,christ and accept ,him right now as your ,saviour1 surrender to ,him as your ,lord and ,master1 confess ,him as such before the world1 and strive from this time on to please ,him in everything day by day4 ,any other course is utter madness4 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes ,when a book of the ,bible has multiple volumes1 the volume is sometimes referenced with a number and sometimes with a ,roman numeral4 ,these references remain as in the original4 ,the abbreviations i4e4 and e4g4 were both spaced and unspaced in the original4 ,spelling has been made consistent throughout the text4 ,variations in spelling and hyphenation remain as in the original4 ,ellipses match the original4 ,the following corrections have been made to the original text3 ,page iv3 ,by ,r4 ,a4period missing in original ,torrey ,page #ae3 7#a ,cor4 #ab3djf ,r4 ,v4original has ,,rv7 ,page #dh3 make to explain it away4period missing in original ,page #dh3 nations are not able to abide his indignation4original has extraneous quotation mark ,page #ea3 conception of ,pantheism and ,buddhismoriginal has ,bhuddhism ,page #fi3 ,gal4 #c3bhoriginal has #cbh ,page #gj3 ,in ,gen4 #c3bboriginal has a period instead of a colon we read ,page #ha3 the thousands of ,judah1 yetoriginal has ,judah8 ,yet ,page #hb3 shows thatoriginal has that that the ,lord addressed ,page #ij3 demand on ,jesus'apostrophe missing in original part ,page #abc3 ,he is grieved beyondoriginal has beyong expression ,page #abg3 quotation mark missing in original,i have yet many things to say ,page #acc3 you ever have insomniaoriginal has insomia ,page #adb3 ,spirit is original has single quotedone despite unto1 ,page #ahj3 at the point of death8question mark missing in original ,page #ahh3 means more than mere forgiveness4period missing in original ,page #aib3 literally1 in1 ,christ's blood1original has extraneous quotation mark ,page #aih3 ,can that faith save him8quotation mark missing in original ,page #bjh3 quotation mark missing in original,he is renewed in knowledge ,page #bad3 sin is not doing1original has a period because ,his 7,god's7 seed ,page #bai3 ,regeneration is ,god's work2 wrought by ,him by the power of ,his ,holy ,spirit working in the mind1 feelings and will ofitalics ended here in the original the one born again ,page #bcf3 sin unto ,god4 7cf4original has c4 ,john #ac3aj47 ,page #bci3 every place1 their ,lord and ours4quotation mark missing in original ,page #bea3 quotation mark missing in original,but some will say ,page #bfd3 our first text1 ,johnoriginal has ,jno4 #h3dd ,page #bfg3 our second text1 #a ,johnoriginal has ,jno4 #c3h ,page #bgg3 ,neworiginal has extraneous quotation mark ,thought1 ,theosophy1 ,occultism ,page #bie3 judgment of the great white throneoriginal has thorn ,page #bif3 ,i ,cor4 #ae3bboriginal has a period instead of a colon ,page #cad3 #a ,peter #c3ah-bjoriginal has #c3ah3bj